Blood Hound
by SilverMoonForever
Summary: Dead animals, locked rooms, blood messages, Naru's return, and a priestess runaway? What do all these have in common? Well they're the main things happening on SPR's newest case, but will they have to go in without Mai? Read to find out!
1. Beginings, Songs, and Spells

**Me: Yay, another story! XD**

**Naru: Shit, it's you again.**

**Mai: Be nice!**

**Naru: Or what?**

**Mai: Or else I'll sick her big sisters on you.**

**Naru: Yeah right, like I'd fall for that.**

**Mai: *Turns to Silver* Silver, if you'd please.**

**Me: Sure! *Takes deep breath***

**Naru: What's she do-**

**Me: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Onee-san! Naru's being mean to me!**

**Naru: SHIT! *Starts running***

**Gene: Ha-ha! Run little white boy, run!**

**Me: Gene!**

**Gene: What?**

**Mai: Don't say that, it's supposed to be run idiot scientist, run!**

**Gene: Hell Yeah! *Joins Mai in on the new chant***

**Me: Okay then, I don't own Ghost Hunt, and please R&R while I get some popcorn and watch.**

**Mai's POV:**

"Hey Muffin, can you please go sweep the outside of the shop?"called a motherly voice that I had grown so used to hearing in the past few months of living here.

"No problem Mom!" I shouted back as I fixed my priestess kimono. _'Yep, that's right. I, Mai Taniyama, just said priestess kimono. Ayako's now no longer the only priestess in SPR, if SPR was still here that is.'_

Naru had left for England, and left me in his wake. Everyone from SPR broke apart, throwing me into a world of darkness. Even though they tried to stay in touch; I never responded to them. I even ran away from the city and into the country. If it weren't for Mom then I would probably be dead right now, or have been sent somewhere where I would be watched, but I won't get into that. **(A/N: If interested in back-story, please see Cause You'll Always Have Me)**

'_Oh, and Mom's not really my mom. That's just her nickname to the people who know her. Her real name is Hanayo Tsuki, or just Hana if you want.'_ Anyway, she's really nice, and lets me live here with her for free and cooks all of our meals, unless I decide to cook. She said that she didn't want anything in return for all that she's done for m, but I wore her down to letting me help in her shop downstairs, although she does pay me quite well. She's married and is almost three months pregnant. Even though I've never met her husband, he seems like a good man.

I grabbed the broom by the door and went out to sweep the side walk. As I said before, the house and shop are connected. The building itself was three stories high and was white and blue. Not that baby blue, but a nice, rich, dark, navy blue. The first floor had the shop and a 'Creativity Room' as Mom would have called it. It was actually just a large sun room with a bunch of materials used to make anything and everything. The second floor was here the kitchen and living room were. The kitchen was pretty big, but the living room was gigantic! The top floor held the master bedroom and a few guest rooms, one of which I am currently staying in.

The house was on top of a hill surrounded by wild flowers, grass, and weeping willow trees. There was a winding pathway that led to the edge of the flat topped hill. At the edge, there was an arch with ivy growing all around it, a gate at the bottom, and a sign at the top. Hanayo, didn't need to put in a fence since the vegetation surrounded the area that she owned. I finished sweeping the path up to said gate, and then flipped the sign of a sleeping cat with a witch's hat on over, to reveal a witch sitting on the moon with the words next to her saying 'Stop in and Stay for a Spell'. I smiled at that. Mom had painted this along with the head sign above my head. I looked up and felt my smile widened. On it was the triple Goddess symbol and the title of the store written out in blue flower petals: 'Ice Flowers'.

"Well, better go help set up the shop!" I said to no one in particular, as I began just a normal day. "Mom, do you need help with any-ugh!" I coughed getting squished by a killer hugged.

"He's coming home today!" Mom exclaimed hugging me even tighter (if that were possible). She finally released me and looked at me with such joy filled eyes, that I couldn't help smiling back.

"Who's he?" I asked, already having a guess at who 'he' was, but not one hundred percent sure.

"Izo-kun of course! You'll finally get to meet him while I finally get to tell him about them! Oh, also he'll be bringing some acquaintances along, but that doesn't really matter now does it?" She explained going into a cleaning frenzy.

"Wait, them? Are you talking about the baby?" I asked, wondering what compelled her to say them instead of it.

"Nope. Not baby, but babies. I found out last night along with their gender." She squealed happily. _'If she smiled any brighter, I think I'm going to need to get a pair of sunglasses.'_

"How many, and how many of each gender?" I interrogated, so that I could start planning the surprise baby shower and designing the nursery.

"Triplets! Two boys and one girl." She placed her hand on her slightly swollen stomach and smiled lovingly.

"Oh my Gods!" I exclaimed happily, hugging her tightly, while still being careful of her unborn children, and jumped up and down in joy. Once we calm down, I let go and eyed her carefully. "Isn't that exactly what you wanted?"

"Correction, what we wanted. Izo and I tried to have kids before, but were unsuccessful. We decided that we were going to aim for two boys and one girl. Even though we would have loved whatever we got, that's what we'd prefer."

Well duh. I'm not even your family, yet you treat and smiled me like your daughter. What I really want to know is how you're going to tell him." I pried knowing she must be dying to tell someone about all this. That, and I'm extremely curious/excited to hear about it.

"I was hoping that we would play 'One fact about you', so that everyone would get to know each other. Oh, I can almost see his shocked face!" She began, dancing around the shop and turning on the radio, only to have a happy bubbly song come through completely matching our emotions.

**Do you believe in magic?  
In a young girls heart  
How the music can free her  
whenever it starts**

**And it's magic**  
**if the music is groovy**  
**It makes you feel happy like an old time movie**

**I'll tell ya about the magic**  
**It'll free your soul**  
**but it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock n roll**

**If you believe in magic, don't bother to choose**  
**If it's jug band music or rhythm and blues**  
**Just go and listen**  
**It'll start with a smile**  
**It won't wipe off your face no matter how hard you try**  
**Your feet start tapping**  
**And you can't seem to find**  
**How you got there**  
**So just blow your mind**

**If you believe in magic**  
**Come along with me**  
**We'll dance until morning, just you and me**  
**and maybe, if the music is right**  
**I'll meet ya tomorrow**  
**so late at night**

**We'll go a dancin' baby then you'll see**  
**all the magic's in the music and the music's in me, yeah**

**Do you belive in magic? Yeah.**  
**Believe in the magic in a young girl's soul**  
**believe in the magic of rock n roll**  
**Believe in the magic that can set you free**  
**Ohhhh, talkin' bout magic**

**Do you believe like I believe?**  
**Do you believe in magic?**

_**[repeat]**_

Mom and I sang around the shop, dancing and prancing around. Once the song stopped, we ended up laughing so hard that we doubled over on the ground nearly in tears. _'How did I get so lucky to have been found by someone who really cares?'_

"Because fate let you here to this town and me." She giggled, surprising me yet again with her mind reading ability, which is only one of the many abilities she has. Actually she's a perfect medium, unlike anyone in my old family.

"Do you really believe in fate?" I asked, still on the floor, rolling over onto my tummy and placing my chin on my folded up arms, so that I could look at her like I did my own mother when I was younger and when she was still alive.

"Yes and no." She replied, looking back at me as she lay on her back.

"What do you mean yes and no?"

"Well, I believe that everything happens for a reason, that every person you meet holds a lesson of some sort, and that there is only one person in the world out there for you, but I don't believe that your life is planned out for you in a little black book telling your life stories. I may believe in reincarnation, but you always have the power to change your future." She explained, getting a dreamy far-off look in her large still eyes, which today were her classic silver and pink tie dye blend where iris around her pupil is deep dark pink that slowly becomes later until there is a ring of silver around the entire iris.

Her eyes also changed on a daily basis, and before you ask, no she doesn't wear colored contacts. You know the saying 'The eyes are the Gateway to the soul'? Well for her it's completely true. Her normal eye color is silver, but depending on how she's feeling the iris around her pupil will change. Hence why she's such an open book to read. Apparently it's a family trait, making me wonder if her kids will get her eyes. I've always been jealous of her eyes. Compared to hers, my cinnamon eyes look like dirt.

"Now Mai, there's no reason to be jealous. If you want, I can whip up a potion that will do the same things to your eyes, except the outer ring will stay your lovely cinnamon." She said, breaking me out of my trance. When her words finally sink in, I leapt up onto my feet, pulled her up onto hers, and began dragging her over to the herbal section of the store where all the tools and materials are making conjuring bags, to use, medicines, and potions were. "Well isn't someone being a happy puppy."

"Yep! How come you didn't tell me that there was a potion for that earlier?" I asked, realizing that if she could read minds and emotions, why hadn't she told me about it earlier?

"Because I just found it in my grandmother's book of shadows, which by the way is now added into mine. Anyway, first I have to tell you the side effects, and if you still want these," she pointed to her eyes. "then I'll make the potion for you." I looked at her with a please-get-on-with-it look. She sighed and shook her head with a smile.

"Alright. Listen well, and listen good, because I won't be responsible if it's done and you don't like it. First off, it's irreversible. Once it's done, it can't be undone, second, it'll latch onto your DNA and become your only trait which is also the dominant trait, third, from this point on, all of your generations to come will have those eyes, fourth, only your reincarnation will have those same exact eyes despite which family you may be born into, fifth, all your reincarnations will remember everything from your past lives and will all have your psychic abilities, sixth, your abilities will be heightened and much more powerful, and lastly, you'll officially be a part of the Tsuki clan."

"Okay. I get all of it except for the Tsuki clan thing." I stated, completely okay with what would happen if I took this potion.

"In short, you would become a part of my family, biologically and spiritually."

"Wait, so I'll be your-" The last word froze in my throat, unable to voice the meaning that this held.

"You to become my distant relative. Like a niece of my third cousin five times removed. Now then, I've named my price, but are you willing to pay it?" She asked sitting down on her work chair wearing in very serious face, which I've only seen a few times. Her once color filled eyes were now once again silver and void of all emotions except for calmness and seriousness. I was stuck under her stare. There was no way for me to look away. I took a deep breath and jumped to her, hugging her tightly as I could. "I'll take that as a yes then?"

"No duh." I giggled, completely enthusiastic about being a part of her family. I mean I already see her like a mother, and I'm officially an adult now, so this is really the only way that I know I won't be abandoned.

**(A/N: Don't do this at home. It's made up and won't do anything.)**

"Now that. Let's get that potion made." I pulled away and smiled brightly at her in complete agreement. "I'm gonna need you to get the tools while I create the potion." I nodded and walked over to the tools, ready to take her order.

"Alright, I need water, fresh rose petals, orange peels, sunflower petals, clovers, bluebells, violet petals, lavender petals, sweet pea petals, daisy petals, iris petals, dead petals from all of the above, pure honey, the balance, the herb crusher, the sun bowl, the triple moon chalice, chalk, a Sage smudge sticks, the candles, a wooden spoon, and let's see, what else? I know there's one more thing. Oh, and my moonstone, amethyst dagger." She happily said, tying up her long sun bleached reddish-brown hair.

As she spoke, I gather the materials and placed them on her work table in front of her. Once I placed everything in front of her, I stood back and watched in awe anticipating what she could possibly create. I felt the air shift around her as a calming aura filled the room. She began by taking a deep breath and lighting the Sage smudge stick and then began to walk around her 'sacred space' clock wise.

"Distant relatives of my mother's mother, please aid me in this cast to extend our bloodline to yet another worthy soul." She asked, finishing her sentence right when she finished her circle. "May all negative energy be banished from this sacred place and my holy Temple as I work with my magic for the greater good." She began smudging herself, clearing away any bad energies. Finally she placed it into an ashtray and turned to the balance and herbs. She began taking the petals, and placing them on the scale with expert speed, grace, and focused. Every time she finished measuring a type of petal, she would place it into the herb crusher. Once all of the herbs were measured and placed into the herb crusher, she rose to her feet and put four of the five candles into their proper places, then back to the center with the last one.

"Earth, guardian of the North. Please come, join, and rejoice in the wondrous circle as you give us strength to use when we have none of our own. Air, guardian of the East. Please come, join, and rejoice in this wondrous circle as you give us freedom that we need to perform this magical act. Fire, guardian of the South. Please come, join, and rejoice in this wondrous circle as you give us the passion to follow our dreams and wishes. Water, guardian of the West. Please come, join, and rejoice in this wondrous circle as you give us healing when we fall so that we may get back up. Last, but definitely not least, I call upon spirit. The main foundation that all of life is based on, I ask that you come and join us in the circle, thus completing this place of magic." As she called out the elements each candle in the respected direction let as a feeling of peace intensified with each flight. When the fifth candle lit a sense of power radiated out of mom causing me to slowly come closer to her until I reached the edge of her circle.

"Mom?" I asked cautiously, making sure not to disturb her from her focus.

"Come into the circle Mai." She said in the commanding tone, causing shivers to go up my spine. My hands made a movement like partying a curtain and I then walked through it into the circle. Making sure not to let any energy leave, I quickly closed the 'curtain' and was then completely surrounded by pure energy. It hit me like a tidal wave. It was so strong that I ended up falling to my knees. I heard Mom chuckle softly at me, but then turned to focus on the pedals in the earth crusher. She picked up the actual crusher for it, and began to pulverize the contents into a paste.

"Love, content, embarrassment, jealousy, sadness, loneliness, happiness, worry, fear, rage, abilities, and finally calm." She chanted, repeating it three times, while she made absolute sure that there was no solider remains of the herbs that were now a fine paste. She then took the contents in the herb crusher and poured it into the bowl and began another chant.

"Red rose, orange blossom, yellow sunflowers, green clovers, bluebells, purple violets, pink sweet peas, gray lavenders, white daisies, black petals, rainbow iris." With each ingredient listed she put a spoonful of honey in the bowl, and then once all of the herbs were listed she began to mix the honey and paste together. When it was completely combined she took the herb crusher, poured water in it, then poured the water into the bowl (making sure not to waste any herbs), and mix the contents together. Once she deemed that it was acceptable, she poured everything into the large chalice.

"Mai, please draw a positive pentagram with the spirit candle in the center." I wasted no time and quickly drew one. "Perfect, now, stand in front of me, on the other side of the candle." I once again followed her commands as nervousness filled my body. "Mai, I forgot to mention one thing. Once you take this, things will look, different. You'll be able to see what others cannot. Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this?" She asked warily.

"Mom, this only gives me more incentive to take it." I countered, now not as affected by Mom's energy like I was when I first came into the circle.

"Don't say that I didn't warn you." She said handing me the chalice, but not giving me the okay to drink. She put her hands palm down over the top of the chalice and began speaking in a foreign tongue, that I was currently learning, managing only to pick out the words 'angel', 'demon', and 'blood'. When she was done, she put her left hand down and grabbed her dagger with it. She then brought the points to her palm and pierced her flash just enough for one drop to be shed and fall into the chalice. Now, the once clear (yeah, don't ask me how it was clear with all that stuff in there) liquid began to glow a Crimson Shade, casting eerie shadows all around the room. "It's your turn Mai."

I lifted my right palm and she pierced me in the same manner as my blood mixed into the concoction, thus completing the potion. The glow had diminished leaving the liquid red, stained by blood. Without any hesitation I drink the entire thing trying not to think about what was in there. Once I finished I felt lightheaded, and soon streaks of color swirled around me. The colors drew closer and closer until it all blended into black and only black. That was when I realized that I blacked out.

**Me: Wow, I didn't intend for it to be that long.**

**Mai: What's gonna happen to me?**

**Me: I don't know yet, I'm just going with the flow that the story pulls me in.**

**Naru&Gene: We're screwed.**

**Me: HEY! *Chases boys around with a dictionary***

**Mai: Please Review everyone! ^_^**


	2. Hostpitals & Gene, Wait? WHAT!

**Me: HIYA! *Hit's twins over the head with dictionary***

**Gene: OW! **

**Naru: That hurt. *Glares at Silver***

**Me: Well too bad. *Glares back***

**Mai: Um, you guys. *Both turn and aim their glares at Mai* Never mind. *Hides behind Gene***

**Gene: I thought that you weren't afraid of Noll's glares.**

**Mai: I'm not, I'm afraid of Silver's.**

**Gene: Oh, anyway, Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Mai: Please R&R!**

**Mai's POV:**

"He's up! Doctor! Doctor! He's up!" called a frantic woman, slightly disturbing me from my sleep. I heard multiple footsteps enter the room which I was in. Since I heard the woman scream for a doctor, I'm gonna guess that something happened with the potion and that I'm lying in a hospital room._ 'Perfect, just what I needed.'_

"Amazing, I always thought that he would die in that coma since his injuries from that car crash were so savvier, but yet again Hanayo-sensei was correct. How do you feel?" the doctor (just a guess) asked said person who just woke-up.

"Weak, but fine. May I ask who it was who saved me from drowning in that lake?" requested a ridiculously familiar male voice, however I felt as if I hadn't talked to them in forever. _'I wonder who it is?'_ I thought, slowly getting out of my sloth like state.

"That would be this woman here. Hanayo-sensei is amazing with prediction about what a person might have and if they would survive. She's a shining star in this little town." He boasted, making a small smile fall on my lips. Mom hates it when people spoke of her that highly, even if it was true.

"Honestly doctor, I'm just a shop owner and that's it. I'm just glad that you're okay. If you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" she asked, as I felt a hand grip mine.

"Eugene, Eugene Davis."

As soon as I heard that name leave his lips, I shot up out of bed and stared at the boy in the bed next to me with wide eyes trying to take in exactly who or rather who I was seeing. Although I couldn't believe it, the proof was right in front of me. There was the boy who guided me in my dreams. The same midnight black hair, same fair skin, same face, and the same blue eyes that was only a shade lighter then the eyes of his twin, of the man I still love. Here, right in front of me, is the boy who should be dead and should be lying in his grave, yet isn't.

"Gene?" I asked after I found my voice again. He looked at me confused, but soon realization was clear on his face.

"Mai, is that you?" he asked, as a smile formed on his lips. "Oh my God it is you! You, you look so different. What happened to your eyes?"

"My eyes?" I asked, as I subconsciously lifted my hand to my face.

"Yeah, they're, like, tie-dyed." He explained, looking at me curiously. _'Tie-dye? What could have made them – oh my Gods!'_

"Can someone hand me a mirror?" I asked excitedly, waiting to see how my new eyes looked on me.

"Here sweetie." Mom said, handing me a compact from her purse. I opened it up, and nearly dropped it. In the little mirror I saw that my short hair was askew all around my face with little parts of it sticking out in some places. My skin tone seemed pasty and unhealthy, and even my lips seemed little blue. But that wasn't what nearly made me drop the mere. No, what did however was the pair of pink – cinnamon eyes that I had just realized were mine. "Like it?"

"Love it." I said, passing her, her compact back.

"Eugene, Mai, you two are free to leave." The doctor said, as he entered the room, with a few nurses who went in unhooked the IV's and turned off the monitors. _'Wait, when did he leave the room?'_

"Alright you two, let's get you into real close so that we can go get some things for dinner." Mom said gesturing to some close at the foot of the bed. _'When did those – oh never mind.'_

She closed the curtain that separated the room into two and stepped out to let us change in peace. Uncomfortable with the fact that there technically was still a guy in the room, I quickly changed out of the white hospital kimono and into my favorite kimono. After moving to this village I noticed that all the women, girls, and little kids wore kimonos, (just like Masako) and not wanting to really stick out, I just began to wear them. At first they were really heavy and weird to get used to, but now I'm so used to them that I can run just as fast as I did when I was a normal cloths, if not faster. _'I know, weird right?' _Since I noticed a mirror hung up by my bed, and having the sudden urge to see my eyes again, I went over towards it and nearly lost my balance at the site in front of me.

It seemed as if I was looking at another person altogether instead of my own reflection. I mean it looks more like a familiar stranger if anything. Our facial structures are the same, along with the same height, weight, figure, and hair length/color. However, there were several subtle changes that made a big difference. Like the way I used to dress till now. Before I would always wear short skirts and a top that complemented it, and always give a girly tomboy feel. Now here I am standing in a pale pink kimono with apple blossoms dancing around it in a purple obi that complement it. When Naru was here, I never did anything with my hair, but with Hanayo, I always wear the amethyst butterfly hairpin she got me (which matched all my kimonos). Last but not least, let's not forget my eyes. Up until now, they were a normal cinnamon that you could commonly see all around the world. However, I now no longer have that normal eye color. I have an exotic trait which now marks me as a Tsuki clan member. _'Mai Taniyama, or Mai Tsuki? Which one sounds better?'_

"Mai, are you finished?" Gene asked, startling me out of my trance. _'Gods, how could I have forgotten that Gene was here?'_

"Yeah, you?"

"I've been ready for the past, oh, ten minutes." He joked as he pulled the curtain and reopened the room making it whole once again. I turned around to face him and I swore my heart nearly stopped. _'Damn, why must Naru and Gene be so HOT?'_ I thought, as I let the image that was in front of me sink into my mind. Gene was sporting a pale blue T-shirt that clung to his broad chest, pale washed out jeans, and white gym shoes. Compared to always seeing him and are in black (except for that picture I have of them on my desk and the times I've seen are in the hospital kimono, but that doesn't count), this is completely mind blowing!

"Whoa."I said, unable to come up with anything else to describe how he looked without looking any more of an idiot than I already did.

"Whoa yourself; when did he start wearing kimonos? I thought that you found them annoying." He said, looking me over, then doing a hand gesture to do a 360. Although a bit confused, I didn't argue or question it, and complied to his unspoken request. When I face him again, he had an approving smile on his lips.

"Well?" I questioned, still not sure why Gene made me spin around.

"Ya know, I never would have pegged you to be one of those girls who would look good in kimonos."

"Hey!" I shouted, slightly offended by what Gene had said. _'I would expect__ Naru__ to say something like that, but not __Gene__!'_

"You didn't let me finish. I never would have pegged you to be one of those girls would look at them she bundles, but as one of America's Next Top Model's judges would say, Damn girl, you look fine in fierce. Rauwr!" He said, adding in a Valley girl accent during what a judge would say and cat clawed the air at the 'rauwr'. There was a heavy silence filled the room, until I fell to the ground laughing my ass off. "What? What'd I do?"

"Nothing." I gasped, trying to force the air back into my lugs. "Absolutely nothing." Gene gave me a look, but then just shrugged it off.

"Well, I'm glad you two are having fun," Hanayo said, as she walked back into the room. "but we do need to run some errands before Izo-kun comes home with our guests. Also Gene-kun, you need to call your mother and tell her you're okay."

"That's probably a good idea." Gene agreed hastily.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see Naru's face when he finds out, I bet it'll be something like this." I blanked my face then made my eyes go wide and mouth open slightly. Gene chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah, I think it would be like this." Gene had a shocked look on his face, then his eyes rolled back and fake fainted, making me laugh.

"Now that would be funny."

"I think that he'll be shocked at first, then mad, and then finally accepting." Mom said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, we won't know until we see him. Speaking of which, Mai, where is he?" He asked looking at me curiously. I opened my mouth to tell him that Naru was in England, but for some reason I just couldn't find the words; they were all just too bitter-sweet to say, and every single one held a memory of the man who I love and hurt me. "Mai?"

"It's – it's a long story." I finally managed to get out. I turned my head away and looked down, just praying that he would understand that I didn't want to talk about it. My body began to tremble and I soon found myself facing Hanayo's white and purple plum blossom kimono.

"Shhhh, it's okay. I promise you, you're not alone anymore. You have me." She cooed, picking up on my distress and what was causing it.

"Thanks Mom." I whispered as she let me go.

"No problem honey." She slipped my bangs to the side and sighed. There was an uncomfortable silence between the three of us until Gene punched the wall.

"That's it, when I see that idiot scientist, I'm gonna punch him so hard that he feels it for a month. No one, and I mean no one can make my little sister cry and get away with it. Not even my little twin brother!" Gene had such strength in his voice, and fire in his eyes, that Mom and I couldn't help but laugh. Gene was definitely not the strong and silent type. No, he's more of the wild and impulsive type. _'There is no way that Gene and Naru are twins. It's just not possible!'_I thought; as I let my giggle fit die down. "It wasn't that funny." he pouted, throwing a fake glare over at us.

"Sorry, but it was." Mom said after composing herself.

"What. Ever." He said in the Valley girl accent making all of us cracked up again.

"Let's be on our way, Izo-kun will be back by nightfall, and I want to reach him when I see hand." Mom said linking one arm with me and the other with Gene as she nearly dragged us out of the room.

**Mai: Well those two are still in their glare down.**

**Gene: Yeah, I wonder when they'll get bored of it?**

**Mai: Who knows.**

**Gene: Please Review!**


	3. Poolside Surprises

**Me: Hey people!**

**Naru: Do you ever calm down?**

**Me: Only when I sleep for six hours!**

**Mai: You need to get more sleep.**

**Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah.**

**Gene: So anything exciting going on in this chapter?**

**Me: Yes, you and Mai will be having a dirty conversation about you and Naru when you were younger. **

**Naru: Dare I ask what it is?**

**Mai: I bet I know.**

**Gene: What is it?**

**Me: TWINCEST!**

**Naru: I'll be back when it's time to say good bye for this chapter.**

**Gene: Meh, I think I'll stick around and see what she comes up with.**

**Mai: YAY YAOI!**

**Me: Yep, sorry for those that don't like that kinda stuff, but it kinda is important in the rest of the story, so, yeah. **

**Gene: Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt, and I don't think Noll wants to even imagine what she would do if she did.**

**Mai: Anyway, PLEASE R&R!**

**Mai's POV:**

"Geronimo!" Gene exclaimed, as he jumped off of the diving board and into the pool water below, splashing me in the process.

"Gene!" I shouted, with my back hunched over and arms drawn near to my torso.

"You called? He said as he popped up from behind me, startling me to the point that I lost my balance and fell face first into the cold water. Since that part of the pool that I was at was shallow, I had no problem getting back to the surface. As I broke through, all that I could hear was Gene's laughter. Once the chlorinated water was out of my eyes, I shot him a glare that instantly shut him up.

"You are _SO_ dead!" I yelled, lunging at him so that I could drag him under the water. At the last second however, he dodged me, making me fall back into the water. "Looks like you'll have to catch me first." He taunted as he began to run away from me.

"Fine by me!" I dove under the water and swam over to where he was. I saw him look back at where I should have been, only to see that there was no one pursuing him. He stopped and looked around puzzled, giving me the perfect opportunity to take him down. I leapt out from behind and wrapped my arms and legs around his torso. "Gotcha!"

"No fair!" He whined, trying to shake me off to no avail.

"You started it. If you haven't of splashed me, then there wouldn't have been any problem, but no. You just had to go and get me wet." I hissed, using all of my strength and weight to try and bring him down. Finally it paid off, and he fell back first into the pool. The only problem was that I was behind him and I hit the water before him getting even wetter than before. Pushing away from him, I swam to the edge of the pool only to get lifted back up into the air and hefted over Gene's shoulder. "What the? Gene put me down right now!" I yelled, trying to wriggle my way free from his grasp.

"If you keep squirming like that, then I'm going to end up dropping you back to the water." He joked, making me instantly stop moving. Without any problem, he climbed up the stairs and out of the pool, heading over to our laid out blankets on the lush green grass. With no warning what – so – ever, he dumped me onto my towel and flopped onto his own.

"What was that for?" I asked, peaking out from my closed eyes, while the sun began to dry my soaking body.

"What was what for?"

"Why did you splash me?" I clarified, knowing that he would play the 'what' game if I didn't.

"Why wouldn't I? You were already in the pool and you were, and still are, sporting one damn sexy swimsuit, showing off your find bod, cause let's face it you're one hot chick, so I thought why not." He explained, going into Valley girl mode when he was making compliments on how I looked in my swimsuit, just like a gay guy would. _'Yeah right, Gene gay. Please, he's the biggest flirt I've ever seen. Besides Yasu. Maybe those two would get along?'_I thought as my mind drifted off to what the rest of SPR might be doing, or more importantly, what a certain narcissistic idiot scientist might be doing. _'Knowing him, he's probably off solving another case, being the high and mighty Oliver Davis.'_ "Mai, is your swimsuit a really blue Teal, or is it just a really weird shade of blue?" Gene asked, disturbing me from my thoughts.

"What?" I asked, not really understanding his question.

"What color is your swimsuit?" He asked yet again in a slightly annoyed tone and rolled his eyes. I looked down at my attire, not quite sure why he would want to know.

"It's a really blue Teal. Why did you want know?" Throwing a confused look his way, I sat up a bit and rested my elbows on the ground to support my weight.

"Because you look absolutely fab in it!" He burst, as he began to ramble in his Valley girl mode yet again. For some unknown known reason, I just blankly stared at him for about a minute and then broke out into hysteria of laughter. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just that you sound so gay it's hysterical." I said, trying to calm myself down, even if it's only a little.

"Do you not like gays?" He asked, completely serious, and losing all humor that he had from the previous conversation.

"Hardly, they're the most fun guys to hang with. You can have fights over which shoes are cuter, and make comments about how hot a guy is without making them upset, and let's not even get started on their wicked style." I said listing all of the things that I loved to do with my gay guy friends from junior high. "Why do you ask?"

"Well..." He said looking at me, that quickly away. Looking as if he were fighting some form of inner demon. Then it clicked.

"Gene, you wouldn't happen to be gay would you?" I asked as a sly smile formed itself on my face because his color drained from his. "You are, aren't you."

"Actually, I'm bi; not gay." he corrected, holding his head up high unlike before when he shied away from the accusation of his sexual preferences.

"Awesome. Wait, does Naru know about this?" I asked, imagining how he would react if he found out about Gene liking both guys and girls.

"Well yeah, after all, we did have some twincest going on when our hormones first kicked in." He stated, making me wihp my head back towards him so fast that I'm surprised I didn't get whiplash._ 'Naru's bi, or even possibly __GAY?!__'_

"Details. Now. I want them ALL and I want them JUICY." I demanded, throwing him a look that clearly stated that he would not escape my grasp without me knowing everything that I wanted to know.

"Where do you want me to start?" he asked as a mischievous glint shone in his eyes.

"Is Naru gay?" I blurted, unable to restrain the need to know if I'll ever have a chance with him even if I saw him later on in life.

"Nope, he was in the experimental stage when we went at it, but went straight after he looked at it logically." Gene reassured, giving me a small smile knowing why I had asked that question.

"When did you two 'hook up'?" I asked, extremely curious as to what would have made Naru stray from the 'logical path'.

"We wondered what a kiss would be like, and what made a good kisser when one of our friends got dumped because he was a bad kisser. Afraid that the same thing would happen to us one day, we decided that we would practice on each other until we were amazing kissers. After that it just spun off of curiosity and hormones. Lots and lots of hormones." He smiled pervily, making me laugh as he talked about those hormones.

"I find it hard to believe that Naru would be afraid of being a bad kisser." I said, not understanding how such a conceded person as him could worry about something like that.

"Well, it's more like I was the one afraid and Noll just got fed up with it." Gene confessed, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment.

"Now that sounds more like Naru. Okay, next question, who was the Uke and who was the Seme in the relationship?" Holding my breath in anticipation, I waited and watch Gene think back and remember.

"In the beginning we traded off, but eventually I became the Seme and Noll the Uke."

"Shut. Up. There's no way Naru would submit to someone." I countered, unable to believe what it was I just heard.

"Oh, but Mai-chan I only speak the truth. On many occasions I had Noll begging me for my cock and to make me make him cum." Gene smirked as my face reddened at the picture in my mind of Naru with a flushed face, sweat glistening on his body, tears of pleasure in his eyes, and slutery moans falling from his lips._ 'Damn, I really need to stop reading Yaoi, don't I.'_ I thought as I shook the image out of my head.

"Okay, since you're such a sex god, where's his turn on spot, and how does he like it in bed?" I questioned, forcing my blush to go down and to prepare to store this in the file in my brain under important and to use later.

"Surprisingly, he has quite a few different places; the only problem is that you have to hit it just right. The one that's easiest to find though is right where the shoulder and the collarbone meet. Also, he loved bondage, especially when I whipped him. He really is a masochist. One time I accidently cut him, but instead of yelping he moaned. Anything else?"

"How many times did you used to do it?"

"At least three times a week."

"Did you use toys? If so, what kind?"

"Yes, cock rings and vibrators."

"What's his favorite type of lube?"

"Water based and he seemed to like strawberry."

"Cosplay?"

"Once, and it pissed him off."

"Types of restraints?"

"Silk ribbons so that you don't leave too much bruising on the wrists."

"Last question, what was your safe word?" I asked, finishing my rapid questioning session with Gene. He gave me a coy smile, and beckoned me closer to him. I leaned over until I felt his breath on my outer ear. A shiver went down my spine as the wind brought his natural musky scent to my nose. _'I wonder if this is how Naru smells without the usual fragrance of tea clinging to him?'_

Suddenly, Gene grabbed me, causing me to gasp. He placed me straddling his legs as I sat on his lap. His left hand was behind him supporting his weight, while the right was on the small of my back; dangerously close to my ass. Our wet chests were pressed up against each other with only my bent arms and bikini top keeping my chest from touching his bare, broad one. He rested his chin on the nook of my neck and chuckled at my reaction. Then he whispered one word.

"Uncle."

**Me: HOLY SHIT!**

**Naru: What?**

**Me: I nearly got run over by a car not even ten minutes ago!**

**Mai&Gene: WHAT?! *Mai passes out and Gene takes her to her room leaving Silver with Naru***

**Naru: Are you stupid?**

**Me: No.**

**Naru: Did you look both ways before crossing the street?**

**Me: …Maybe.**

**Naru: You're an idiot you know that?**

**Me: Am not! I'm just a brilliant brunette that tends to have a lot of blond moments. (Not to diss blonds, my Mom and baby sis are blonds)**

**Naru: Whatever, Review, maybe it'll keep Silver from getting herself killed.**


	4. Back Home Again

**Me: Hi everyone!**

**Gene: So, did you have any near death experiences today?**

**Me: Nope.**

**Mai: Good, I don't think I could handle another near death experience with you.**

**Naru: Mainly because then the story wouldn't be finished.**

**Me: Hey!... Wait, does that mean that you actually like the story so far?**

**Naru: Out of all the ones that you have so far written, then yes, yes I do.**

**Gene: Even though it did mention some twincest?**

**Naru: Please don't remind me.**

**Mai: Well then, I guess I'll do intro. Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Me: Please R&R!**

**Naru's POV:**

"It's good to be back home." Yawned a tall, dark brown haired man as he got off the plane. "What do you think Noll?" he asked, looking back at me with a small smile on his face.

"I personally find it indifferent." I stated, pulling out the case file that I had annotated in one of my small black notebooks on the plane ride back to Japan.

"Then why did you come back with me?" he asked as we walked over to the luggage are.

"There are more cases here that interest me." I explained, restating it just as naturally as I did practicing in the bathroom mirror. In all honesty, I have no rational clue as to why I was so eager to come back with one of my colleagues. However, when Izo asked me if I wished to accompany him back to his homeland I didn't waste a second to reply with a yes. Only after I accepted did I think logically as to why it would be beneficial for me to come back.

"Really? Are you sure that it has nothing to do with the picture of your SPR branch in Japan in the inside of that pocket watch you have all you 24 seven?" He asked, or better described, stated, giving me a small smirk that I'm normally wore on my lips whenever I teased Gene and Mai. Mai. That one name made my heart clench at just the mention of it, and I was far from understanding it let alone from figuring it out. "Noll?" Izo asked, bringing me back from my musings about my old, brown haired, perky, idiotic assistant.

"It's nothing, and no. I came here for cases, not for socializing." He rolled his green eyes to show that he didn't believe me, but wouldn't press it, and instead grabbed both of our bags.

"Whatever you say Noll, whatever you say." He led us to the pickup area where Lin had called before hand to tell us that he would be waiting. Little did I know that he brought the rest of the team along with him.

"Naru-bou!" Called Monk, as he rapidly waved his hand to show where they were.

"Naru-bou?" Izo asked, cocking one eyebrow up at me. He's thought over it for a second, and then smiled to himself. "Let me guess, Naru is short for narcissist." I sighed and nodded my head as we made our way over to them.

"It's been a while Naru." Ayako said, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder as a red lipstick smile was painted on her face.

"Big Boss, we missed you!" Exclaimed Yasu, jumping up and patting my shoulder. I felt a tug on my sleeve, and I soon saw that it was Masako trying to get my attention.

"It's a pleasure to see and to be working with you again." She said, whether kimono sleeve covering up her smile. I resisted rolling my eyes at her gesture. _'Great, just what I need. I was hoping she had moved on and had gotten over me.'_

"Davis-san, I look forward to working with you again." John said, bowing at me slightly as he his gentle smile that he wore more times than not was placed on his lips.

"Noll it's so good to see you back!" Cheered Madoka, while glomping on to me. That she pulled away and smiled at Izo. "Welcome home Izo. Did you already call Hana-chan?"

"Yes I did, and may I say that she is extremely excited to meet you all." He said, smiling warmly at the thought of his infamous wife. I sighed as Izo introduced himself to SPR. For some reason, something felt out of place. _'What is it? What's missing?'_As if saying that I was confused, Lin made his way over to me.

"Is something wrong Naru?"

"Something's missing."

"Not something, someone." He hesitantly said, as his still like face showed hints of sadness.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking around at the group of people surrounding me. Lin held his tongue, and only made me lose my patience. "Lin."

"Mai." Instantly my heart clenched at the name, and I began to look around for the brunette. After a few seconds of searching I still couldn't find her.

"Where is she?"

"No one knows." My attention instantly locked onto him as my body tensed.

"Explain."

"On our way to Izo's home. We're already running late enough as it is." I checked my watch, and saw that we actually were late. Knowing that the sooner that we were on our way, the sooner I would have my answers; I cleared my throat gaining the team's attention.

"Pack up, we're wasting time, and you know I hate wasting time."

**Me: Well this is a really short chapter.**

**Mai: You'll just have to make it up in the next one.**

**Gene: Yep.**

**Naru: I would have thought that someone as simple minded as you were able to figure out something as simple as that. Who knew that your mind and brain activity was worse than Mai's.**

**Me&Mai: HEY!**

**Gene: He does kinda have a point.**

**Me:… Did Gene just insult us?**

**Mai: I think he did.**

**Me: I would have expected that from Naru, but not Gene.**

**Mai: Same here.**

**Naru: And just what does that imply?**

**Me&Mai: Nothing.**

**Naru: *Glares at them***

**Gene: Okay, well please review everyone. Silver promises to make the next chapter longer if you do.**


	5. The Discovery of Gene & Mai

**Me: Well that's a new one.**

**Naru: What is it this time?**

**Me: Well, I was in bio, working on a poster with my group (consisting of two girls and one boy [not including me]) and I had my story with me. I looked away from my story for a second, and then I saw Alex reading it. He asked if I wrote it, and I said yes. Then he told me it was really good and that he wants to read the rest of it.**

**Mai: Yay!**

**Gene: See, I told you your stories are good.**

**Me: Yeah, yeah whatever you say.**

**Mai: Please R&R!**

**Naru's POV:**

It didn't take that long for everyone to pile into the van and begin to head over to Izo's home. Everyone was asking how I was and what England was like, but I didn't pay any attention to them. Right now my mind was completely focused on getting my answers as to why Mai wasn't here. Finally, I couldn't take any more of their blabber and snapped.

"Where's Mai?" Just liked that, they shut their mouths and looked at each other, deciding on who should be the one to tell me.

"I'll tell him." Monk said, with a sad look in his eyes. "Mai, she. She went missing a few months ago."

"Do you know why?" I asked, pulling out my black book to take notes in, deciding to make it my main objective to find her after this case was solved._ 'Then once I find her I'll make her make me so much tea that she won't be able to mention it without being sick.'_

"No, we tried to keep contact with her after SPR disbanded, but she didn't ever pick up. Actually, it wasn't until her landlord called asking if she was on a case did we realize that she was gone. Ayako explained, taking over for Monk who was now nearly in tears.

"Then how did you know that she ran away?" I asked, becoming slightly alarmed that instead of running away that she may have been kidnapped.

"She left a note saying that she was tired of being alone and not to look for her." John sadly said. I relaxed a bit, but confusion filled my mind.

"Why did she say that she was alone?"

"No one knows. We tried looking for her, but as you can see we didn't find her." Yasu said, trying to keep a smile on his face, but making it look obviously forced.

"I see." After that, the car was deadly silent and the cheerful aura disappeared. The silence stretched on for about five minutes, but soon ended when Madoka cleared her throat.

"Izo, I think that you should let Hanayo know that we're gonna be late."

"Good idea." He pulled out his phone and hit two on his speed dial. "Hi honey."

"Izo-kun, what's wrong?" I heard her ask through the receiver.

"We're gonna be a bit late."

"It's fine, but what's wrong? You sound down."

"Well," He shot me a look asking if he could tell her, which I responded with a nod. "have you heard of a girl called Mai Taniyama?"

"What?" she asked, sounding very confused and surprised.

"Nothing, it's just one of the team members apparently ran away."

"Do you know why?" she asked worriedly.

"No, well yes. She believed that she was alone when really the other members kept trying to contact her." He explained, making me clench my fists in frustration. The line was silent for a while, making me slightly interested in what she was thinking about. "Hana?"

"Is the entire group there?"

"Yes, but I don't see how-"

"Put the phone on speaker." She commanded, cutting him off. "Please Izo." He sighed, pulling the phone away from his ear and pressing the speaker button.

"Go ahead Hanayo."

"Thank you Izo. Um, I know this must be strange for you all, but my name is Hanayo Tsuki, and I have a few questions about your runaway Mai prior to her leave." She said, making everyone look at each other with questioning looks.

"Shoot." Monk said, regaining his composure.

"Did anything stressful happen?"

"SPR broke up and Naru and Lin went back to England with Gene's body." Masako said, glancing at me.

"Gene?"

"Eugene Davis, Gene for short. He's Naru's deceased twin brother." Izo clarified getting his wife up to speed.

"I see, anyway, did she experience any heart break around that same time?" My mind instantly flashed back to when Mai confessed to me right after we found Gene's body, and I asked her if she loved me or Gene. The realization of her feelings for Gene must have devastated her.

"Yes, she confessed to me a week before I left, but I told her that she had her feelings for me and Gene mixed up." I stated, causing the air in the van to become denser and filled with tension. The line was silent for a few seconds before we heard her take a deep breath and then let it out. Izo seemed to understand what was happening, and shook his head at us. Before I could ask why he was doing that, Hanayo began to speak.

"Did you know that for a fact?" she questioned tensely, as if she were holding her tongue from saying something she would regret later.

"Not completely, but based from the information that I had gathered about her relationship with my brother, it wasn't that hard to come up with that conclusion, and trust me, I'm never wrong."

"Was anyone there when it happened?"

"Like we said, we tried to call her, but-"

"So no one was physically there for her." Hanayo said, interrupting Yasu.

"But-" Yasu said, trying to get a word in only to be interrupted again.

"Did anyone go over and visit her?"

"No, but-" Masako said, trying to be heard, but only failing in doing so.

"Did anyone visit her at school?"

"No, but-" Monk said, trying to get a word in, only to get cut off.

"Did any of you even go to her high school graduation?"

"No." John whispered, knowing that she only wanted one word answers and no excuses.

"Then you weren't there for her. She really was alone." She stated in a no-doubt-matter-of-fact tone.

"But she gave all the signs for wanting to be alone!" Ayako countered, with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Would you want to be alone?" she asked, making everyone fall silent as they imagined how she felt.

"No." Masako finally said, voicing the conclusion that everyone had come to.

"Then why didn't she just tell us?" Monk asked, with heart break etched into his face at the fact that the reason Mai may have run away was because of him.

"Would you want to be weak and ask for help?"

"No, Mai hates being a burden." Madoka said fondly, with a small sad smile on her lips.

"Still, if she didn't want to be alone then why didn't she answer her phone, or ask to meet up?" Ayako asked, unable to comprehend what could have made Mai not ask for them to meet up.

"Because she was hurting and is actually very weak on the inside. She didn't want to accidently tell anyone what was wrong and bother them. She also didn't ask to meet up because you all have busy lives that she didn't want to distract you from." She explained, making me feel as if we were in some type of CSI show and Mai was the criminal that we were trying to figure out.

"That still doesn't explain why she said she was all alone." Lin said, bringing to everyone's attention that it really wasn't a good reason for hr to react the way she did.

"Think about it. Judging by the way that Mai seems to work, I'd say that she considers you her family of sorts. She probably was waiting for you to realize that there was something wrong and that you'd be worried about her enough to come over. When none of you went and you calls stopped she thought that you no longer cared and that she was all alone. Also the fact that a certain _IDIOT_ broke her heart, it's only natural that something like this may have happened." She elaborated, making me want to punch myself for not figuring this out earlier. _'Wait a moment. I'm anything but an idiot. Mai's the idiot for thinking that she loved me instead of Gene.'_

"At least I don't have haywire feelings." I depaned.

"What did you just say?" she asked in such a tone that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"I won't repeat what I clearly said." I threw Izo a look to apologize for my rudeness to his wife only to see pure pity reflected in his eyes.

"You listen here Dr. Oliver Davis. How do you know that she didn't actually love you? The only one who knows what they really feel is them, and the fact that she ran way after you left and said those things to her only supports my standing. So you better as hell listen up and listen good, be I will only say this once. If you meet her again and act like a total dick wad like before, I can guaranty you that not only will you be unable to produce offspring, but I'll fuck up your face so bad that your narcissistic pride will be snapped in half. Do. You. Hear. Me?" I nodded my head vigorously, unable to respond to Hanayo's threat as my body began to tremble with fear. As if she were able to me nod my head, she chuckled and a majority of the tension vanished. "Good. Izo, you can take me off speaker now." Izo did and brought the phone back up to his ear.

"How did you figure that all out?" he asked, completely unaffected by what had just transpired between me and his wife.

"A lucky guess. I'll see you soon?"

"Demons and Ghosts won't stop me." He joked, cracking a smile.

"You and your studies."

"You and your guest." _'Guest, there's another guest there?'_

"That reminds me, you know the girl I helped?" she asked, drawing my attention from her threat to their conversation.

"Yes, is everything alright?" he asked, as he quickly became tense with worry.

"Of course. Actually, it's better than alright. That girl is actually a family member of mine."

"Do you know for sure?"

"Yes, she even has my eyes. Also, remember that boy we saved from drowning?" she reminded, making him wrinkle his brows in concentration.

"Vaguely."

"Well, he's up and out of his coma, and is also at the house. Before you start to worry, don't. I know for a positive fact that the team and them will get along swimmingly." She assured.

"If you say so." He caved, releasing a sigh at his incapability to tell his wife no.

"Trust me, I do. See you in a bit?"

"The sooner the better."

"Alright, Bye. I love you."

"I love you too." Izo said right before he hung up.

"You two really are in love." Madoka sighed dreamily at him, making him flush slightly.

"Thank you, but lately she's been a bit moody."

"You mean like when she almost bit Naru's head off?" Monk asked, getting a few chuckles and giggles from the other occupants of the van.

"Yeah, she's never been this moody before and I'm starting to get worried."

"I that it's just girl problems." Ayako said, shrugging her shoulders as if it were no big deal.

"Hopefully." He was silent for a while in a daze, but soon snapped back to reality. "Before I forget, there will be two other people staying with us. One is her family members, and the other is a boy we saved a few years ago."

"I thought Hana-chan didn't have anyone left after the fire." Madoka stated, yet again causing my personal interest to spike.

"That's what we thought to, but life has ways of surprising us now doesn't it." The rest of the car ride was silent up until we got to the house.

"Wow." Monk gasped looking over the large building in front of us.

"Thanks, it took us a year to build it."

"You built this?" Ayako exclaimed, voicing everyone's surprise.

"Pretty much, Hana drew up the blueprints and helped build it to." He explained, walking up the stairs to the front porch and opening the door for us. "Please, come in." We walked in, and were instantly bombarded by sweet smelling smoke.

"The hell?" Coughed Monk, as he and Ayako back out of the house. Madoka and Izo last drawing everyone's attention back onto them.

"And what is so funny?" Masako asked, covering her mouth and nose with her sleeved to block out the smoke.

"Nothing." Izo said, stepping into the house with no problem in pain with smoke no mind. We all looked towards Madoka for the answer to why they were laughing, just to see her shake her head with a small smile on her face.

"Hana-chan must think that you're full of negative energy to have put a sage smudge stick on the floor by the door. Now suck it up and let's get you introduced to her." We quickly made our way from the shop part of the building to the kitchen and living area only to find it empty.

"Hana, where are you?" Izo called, putting his suitcase on the kitchen table.

"We are in the backyard." Responded the voice that we heard over the phone. Izo walked over to another door, and turned to us.

"Shall we?"

We stepped outside, and softly figures by the pool. There were two girls and one boy. The boy and one of the girls were in swimwear sitting on the edge of the pool with their legs dangling in the water. The other female was in a kimono and kneeling down talking to the two. All three of their backs are facing us, so that all we could see was the back of their heads. The boy had black hair, the girl in the swimsuit had short brown hair, and the woman in the kimono had reddish brown sun bleached long hair.

Suddenly the woman in the kimono stood up and whirled around to face us. I was unable to get a good look at her face before she charged up to Izo and hugged him. Immediately when Izo had a hold of her, he spun around lifting her into the air, making her squeal. When he stops spinning, he readjusted her in his arms so that she was sitting on the crease of his elbow while his other arm wrapped around her thighs to keep her from falling. I still couldn't get a clear view of her face since her hair draped around her body as she hunched over to hug Izo.

"Welcome home." She said placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm back."

"Kya! You two are so cute." Madoka squealed, making her way over to them and giving who I presume to be Hanayo a one arm hug. Deciding to move on to the introductions, I cleared my throat making everyone except the two by the pool, who seemed to be in their own little world and asked me, turn towards me.

"If you are all done with your little hug fest, let's move on to the introductions." Everyone stared blankly at me and then the two by the pool erupted into laughter. Feeling more irritable than I usually am, I glared over at them hoping to shut them up. "And what is so funny?" The boy's laughter died down to just a chuckle as he shook his head. "Very well then, we are SPR. These are the exorcists, Monk, Matsuzaki-san, Father Brown, and Hara-san, and these are my assistants, Madoka, Lin, and Yasu." I introduced, as each person bowed at their name.

"And you are?" Asked Hanayo, pointing over towards the other two to clarify that it was for them and not her.

"My name is –"

"Let me guess, Oliver Davis?" The boy asked cutting me off. Before I could retaliate however the girl giggled at what the boy had said. For some strange reason back giggle hit a bell that told me that I should know her.

"No, actually in Japan I go by my original birth name of Kazuya Shibuya." I depaned, making the boy chuckle and girl giggle once again.

"Do you always have to be such a smart-ass?" She asked in a teasing tone.

'_Damn it, where have I heard her voice?'_I glanced back at the other members to make sure that they didn't say something, only to see them all with shocked expressions. _'Strange, do they also recognize her?'_ I wondered, before answering the girl.

"I personally believe that if one has a superior amount of knowledge about something then they should say it. However, I doubt that you would know anything of the sorts with that small IQ you seem to posses." I said smugly, expecting her to get huffy at my insult, only to be completely thrown off as she giggled even more.

"Always harping on my studies. Looks like you haven't changed at all. Right Naru?" She asked, looking back at us for the first time and locking eyes with me.

I stared back into browns cinnamon eyes with my own ocean blue ones. She had short brown hair that was pinned up on one side with a butterfly hairpiece, and her lips were curved up into a cheerful smile that I had grown so used to during my first trip here Japan.

"Mai?" I heard someone whisper from behind me.

"Hey you guys, long time no see." She said waving at us. I, like many of the members of SPR, was in too much shock of seeing our runaway Mai here for me to respond back to her. "Guys?" She asked, with worry underlining her tone.

"What's wrong Noll, cat got your tongue?" The boy asked, also turning around to face me with a face just like my own.

"Gene?" I whispered, unable to comprehend how my twin brother, my _DEAD_ twin brother was here _ALIVE_ sitting there right in front of me.

"The one and only." He said, flashing me his famous smile. Everything was silent for a while until Monk broke the tension with everyone's question in mind.

"What the FUCK is GOING ON?"

**Me: How am I going to explain that?**

**Naru: You don't know?**

**Me: Nope.**

**Naru: Idiot.**

**Me: Hey!**

**Mai: But we love you.**

**Gene: So if you love Silver, please review!**


	6. The Plan

**Me: Hey peoplez!**

**Naru: Your grammar is atrocious.**

**Me: I already know that.**

**Naru: And that makes it all the worse.**

**Me: Whatever.**

**Mai: Hey Silver.**

**Me: Yeah?**

**Gene: Why didn't you have Hanayo tell SPR that we were at her house?**

**Me: Because, well, I really don't know. **

**Naru: Figures.**

**Me: Shut up Naru. Anyway this chapter will explain why the meeting happened as it did and why Hana didn't tell SPR about you guys.**

**Naru: You mean if you come up with a reason.**

**Me: One more word and I'm gonna hit ya where it hurts.**

**Naru: Word.**

**Me: THAT'S IT! *Begins to chase Naru around the room***

**Mai: And they're at it again.**

**Gene: Meh, Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Mai: And please R&R while we enjoy our own comity of Naru being chased.**

***After Hanayo hangs up with Izo***

**Hanayo's POV:**

I sighed while placing the phone back in its proper place. _'So that's who Mai ran from. The poor girl, she doesn't even realized how loved she is. Although I don't blame her for what she did. I would have done the same. I wonder how she'll react to them being our guests, and how our guests are going to respond to Mai and Gene. Gene. So he's Naru's twin and is supposed to be dead? Not only that but Noll found his body? Hardly. May be he found someone else's corpse in that lake, but I know for a fact that the Gene I have in my home is Eugene Davis. Especially since he called his parents and his mother confirmed it. So now I need to figure out what to tell our guests when they get here and see Mai and Gene, but first, how to tell those two about our guests.'_ I thought, running multiple options through my head trying to figure out the best way to bring it up to them.

"Oh who am I kidding? The best way to tell those two trouble makers would be to say it flat out." I muttered to myself, as I grabbed some lemonade for the now dubbed 'trouble makers'. _'So far today has been full of discoveries, shocks, and surprises. Why not add another while we're at it?'_ I sighed again, wishing that things weren't so complicated. Carefully, I opened the door with the tray of lemonade in my hands and made my way over to the pool. Gene and Mai were playing one on one water basketball, and from what I could tell, Gene was winning.

"Come on Mai, it's boring if you don't try." Gene said, dunking the ball into the hoop.

"Don't try my ass! How is it that you just get out of the hospital from a three year coma, and yet you still have all this energy?" Mai asked, giving up on trying to stop Gene, and instead opted for floating on her back.

"It's because Dr. Nowaki is a good doctor." I said, startling her enough to make her lose her balance and sink under the water.

"Hey Hanayo-chan." Gene said, swimming over to the edge with Mai fallowing close behind. I handed them their lemonade as they sat themselves on the pool's edge leaving their legs to dangle in the water. They each part took in their little treat as a small silence formed between us. Mauling over how to start the conversation, I didn't realize that I let my worry show until I felt Mai tap my shoulder.

"What up?" Mai asked with curiosity showing in her expression.

"Well, I've got both good and bad news." I said, since technically it was true.

"What is it?" Gene asked. Sighing at how this would take some time to fully explain, I kneeled down, trying to formulate just how I would word everything so that they would react the least negatively.

"Do you want the good or bad news first?"

"Bad." They responded simultaneously, making me laugh. _'Looks like those two were able to bond to the point that they could predict each other's speech pattern. I wonder how Oliver will respond to that?'_

"For starters, SPR apparently is the acquaintances that Izo is bringing over to spend the night while they work on a case in the town."

"WHAT?" They shouted, panic thrown across both their faces in the realization that they were soon going to be discovered, and most likely disciplined for what they did.

"Oh no, this is so NOT good. If they see me, then me running away would have been for nothing! I can just imagine what they'll do to me for pulling a stunt like this. I bet that they'll make me leave and put me in an asylum for what my reasoning for this was." Mai said, quickly beginning to freak out and show signs of a panic attack. Quickly going into action, I grabbed Mai's shoulders and made her face me.

"Mai, deep breaths. In, out, in, out. They won't be able to take you away. You are officially blood bound to me. The only person who will have any other power over you will be your husband once you get married, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Plus, if they even try to do anything to you, I'll go into Mama Bear mode and rip them to shreds so fast that they won't even realize that they're dead until they see their blood staining my cloths." I reassured, getting her to calm down slightly.

"Mai, just be glad that you don't have to worry about having Lin, Madoka, and a pissy twin brother to face." Gene said, as his complexion paled significantly.

"Yeah, well you didn't run away, you were hit by a car and was in a coma. It wasn't your fault that they found the wrong body and that the hospital didn't find any identification on you." Mai said, soothing Gene, only to rile herself back up.

"Relax you two, the worst they can do is lecture. I know for a fact that I'm going to get one from them and most likely have them pissed off at me for not telling them that you two were here over the phone when Izo called." I said wrapping an arm around both of them. "Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if one of them tried to hit me."

" But that could harm the babies!" Mai said, instantly going into 'Big Sister Mode' as she claimed it.

"Babies?" Gene asked, with a confused look on his face.

"Oh right, you don't know that Hana is pregnant with triples." Mai explained, completely changing the topic of the bad news to my pregnancy.

"Triples. Damn that's gonna be a bitch when the due date come along."

"You're telling me." I sighed, not even wanting to imagine the pain that I'm most likely going to go through since I refuse to get an epidural.

"Just be happy you're a guy and don't have t worry about pushing a watermelon out of you." Mai depaned, touching her own stomach that will hold her own future children.

"Anyway, back to the topic." I said, refocusing the conversation in the direction that it originally was heading in.

"Yeah, you said that there was good news. What is it?" Gene asked.

"I was able to question SPR and I deduced that they really do care for you Mai they were just too damn stupid to go and figure out that you needed someone to talk to. I was able to put in your point of view and they realized that it was their fault that you ran away. Also, I gave Oliver hell for deducing that you loved Gene instead of him. I mean really, how dumb is he?" I ranted, unable to wrap my mind around that boy's way of thinking.

"Really?" Mai asked hopefully, with childlike eyes.

"Yep, now this may just be my own personal wish, but I really want to teach Noll a slight lesson for what he did." I said as I felt my pregnant mood swings hit me with the drive for revenge.

"What do you have in mind?" Mai asked, having a cruel smirk slip onto her face.

"Do tell." Gene said, getting a mischievous smile on his lips.

"I was hoping that you two would just ignore SPR when they get here and laugh at something that Oliver. Then you can choose anything to harp on Naru about."

"Let's do his name. That's the big thing that he lied to us about, and I could care less about his manners, but not telling us his name right on out is what pissed me off to no end." Mai said as her face scrunched up in detest.

"I think that, that's a good one. Especially since he might try and pull it on us again." Gene stated, only adding fuel to our fire.

"Perfect."

"Hana, where are you?" Izo called, letting us know that if our plan was going to be put into action that it would be now or never.

"We are in the backyard." I responded giving them one last final look to make sure that we were all on the same page for the plan. They both nodded back and turned to face the opposite side of the pool so that SPR would be able to see anything but the back of their heads.

When I sensed Izo's presence behind me, I stood up and whirled around to face them. Not letting them get a good look at my eyes, I charged up to Izo and hugged him. Immediately when Izo had a hold of me, he spun around lifting me into the air like he always did whenever he came home from a trip, making me squeal in delight. When he stops spinning, he readjusted me in his arms so that I was sitting on the crease of his elbow while his other arm wrapped around my thighs to keep me from falling. I made sure that they couldn't get a clear view of my face letting my hair draped around my body as I hunched over to hug Izo.

"Welcome home." I said placing a kiss on his cheek.

"I'm back."

"Kya! You two are so cute." Madoka squealed, making her way over to us and giving me a one arm hug. Noll then cleared his throat making everyone except Mai and Gene, who were thankfully fallowing the plan and ignoring him, turn towards him.

"If you are all done with your little hug fest, let's move on to the introductions." Everyone stared blankly at him and then Mai and Gene erupted into laughter. Finding it not amusing, he glared over at them hoping to shut them up. "And what is so funny?" Gene's laughter died down to just a chuckle as he shook his head. "Very well then, we are SPR. These are the exorcists, Monk, Matsuzaki-san, Father Brown, and Hara-san, and these are my assistants, Madoka, Lin, and Yasu." he introduced, as each person bowed at their name.

"And you are?" I asked, pointing over towards Mai and Gene to clarify that it was for them and not myself.

"My name is –"

"Let me guess, Oliver Davis?" Gene asked cutting his brother off. Before he could retaliate Mai giggled at what Gen had said.

"No, actually in Japan I go by my original birth name of Kazuya Shibuya." He depaned, making Gene, Mai, and I giggle at just how well he was falling into our trap.

"Do you always have to be such a smart-ass?" Mai asked in a teasing tone.

Deciding to let myself enjoy this a bit more, I tuned into Oliver's mind so that I could see what was going through his mind while he unknowingly talked to Mai and Gene. '_Damn it, where have I heard her voice?'_ He glanced back at the other members and saw them all with shocked expressions. _'Strange, do they also recognize her?'_ He thought, making me stifle a giggle at the fact that he hasn't realized just who he was talking to yet.

"I personally believe that if one has a superior amount of knowledge about something then they should say it. However, I doubt that you would know anything of the sorts with that small IQ you seem to posses." he said smugly, with a smirk on his face that turned into a frown as she giggled even more.

"Always harping on my studies. Looks like you haven't changed at all. Right Naru?" Mai asked, looking back at Naru for the first time and locking eyes with him.

"Mai?" I heard one of the SPR members whisper.

"Hey you guys, long time no see." She said waving at SPR. All of the members of SPR had such a shocked expression, and was in too much shock of seeing their runaway Mai here for me to respond back to her. "Guys?" She asked, with worry underlining her tone.

"What's wrong Noll, cat got your tongue?" Gene, also turning around to face Naru.

"Gene?" Noll whispered, staring in awe at the sight of his dead brother in front of him.

"The one and only." He said, flashing his twin his famous smile. Everything was silent for a while until Monk broke the tension with everyone's question in mind.

"What the FUCK is GOING ON?"

**Mai: Don't those two ever get tired of fighting?**

**Gene: No clue.**

**Me: TAKE THIS! *Kicks Naru in the side, knocking the wind out of him and sending him crashing to the ground***

**Mai: I think you killed him. *Pokes Naru's face***

**Gene: No, he's still alive.**

**Me: Well at least I'm calm now.**

**Mai: Yep.**

**Me: Anyway, I will now only be updating at least once a week and at most three times a week. I have less than 20 days left of school and then I can write more often, so for now please be patient and continue reading when I post.**

**Gene: Please Review, it'll inspire her to write three times a week instead of once!**


	7. Explanations

**Me: FUCK YEAH!**

**Mai: WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING?**

**Me: Because I just found out the most amazing info EVER! XD**

**Naru: What is it?**

**Me: I found out that even though your author (who I want to strangle for not actually adding this part in the manga, novel, or anime) considers Naru and Mai a couple! *Squeals happily and Glomps onto the two mentioned***

**Naru: And you know this how?**

**Me: I read it on a webpage**** towards the end of a conversation. The actual conversation was this. **

'_**I'm sure that any ghost hunt fan is aware of this page. I happened to be an anonymous commenter here, asking for any new on Ghost Hunt. Naturally, I asked about Mai and Naru. To make matters easier for you, I'll post the comments here - though, you'll find the comments on the page if you try hard enough.  
My question: "I was wondering if there was more update from the author of Ghost Hunt? Is she really finished with the series and even so she did not put Mai and Naru together at the end of that sequel of hers as well. Why though? I wanted them to be canon and that can't happen now T.T"  
Admin's answer: The author does not like to write romance stories nor does she like to put too much romance in her stories. She considers Naru and Mai to be canon and expects them to be together as a couple eventually. However, she doesn't want to write that story because it doesn't interest her as a writer.'**_

**Mai: NO WAY!**

**Me: YES WAY! *Mai and Silver have a squealing/hug fest while boys watch in wonder***

**Gene: I have never seen those two like that before.**

**Naru: Neither have I.**

**Gene: Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Naru: R&R while those two idiots calm down to a semi-sane level.**

**Mai's POV:**

"What the FUCK is GOING ON?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Izo said, throwing a look over at the woman in his arms.

"What are you looking at me for?" she asked innocently, not lifting her head up yet to let SPR to see her face.

"You know why. Why didn't you tell us that Mai Taniyama and Eugene Davis were here?" Izo scolded, making Hanayo look up at him.

"Well you wouldn't have believed me about Gene and I kinda forgot about him. Sorry Gene." She explained, making it so that we would have one less thing to be hated for.

"No offence taken, after all I just woke up today." Gene said, just kicking back and staring up at the sky, completely ignoring the conversation that was going on since it no longer applied to him.

"But you could have told them about Mai."

"But I did tell them about my cousin." she said in a tone that clearly made it that she was pouting for being blamed for something that she didn't do.

"Mai is an orphan and is by no means you kin."

"Yeah, it was horrible of you to say something like that."

"I wonder if she was just so desperate to have some other family that she just fooled herself into thinking that." Ayako said to Masako loud enough for us all to hear.

"That's really pathetic." Masako stated, making my blood boil at how they would even say something like that about her without knowing anything that she's done.

"Whatever, Mai, Gene you're going home." Naru said, stopping the girls from talking while he started to move over towards me and Gene.

"Mai already is home." Hanayo said, getting out of Izo's grip and standing in front of SPR with her head down and arms spread out getting into the path that Naru was taking to get to us.

"Move."

"No."

"I said, Move!" Naru shout raising his hand up to hit her.

"Hanayo!" Gene exclaimed standing there unable to move.

Everything began to move in slow motion to me as the scene played out in front of me. Without even thinking, I sprinted from my spot to in front of Naru and grabbed his wrist stopping him an inch away from her face. My head was down as I panted from the adrenaline and sprint that I just did. I could feel the anger bubbling up within me at the fact Naru would go as far as hit her.

"Mai." He said in a warning tone for me to let him go and move. It was the same tone that he used on me countless times, holding me in line with its venom. However, I am no longer his assistant. I am no longer affected by that tone of his. Now it is my time to make my stand and have it so that he knows just how much he can't affect me anymore.

"Don't you ever even think about hurting my kin ever again. If you do I can promise everyone here that someone will find a mutilated body down at the bottom of Kaiuyuri well. I don't care if I'm a priestess now, but no one, and I mean NO ONE hurts my family. Is. That. Understood?" I asked looking back up at him with as much strength that I could muster from my anger.

Everyone gasped and took a step away from me. All except for Hana, Gene, Izo, and Naru, but Naru only stayed because I was holding onto him. Izo began to rub his eyes as if there was something about me that made him question what he saw. _'I know my glares have gotten better, but this is ridiculous.'_ Then Hana hugged me around the waist and squealed in delight.

"See, Izo I told you she had my eyes." She looked up at everyone as her silver eyes now took on a pink hue showing her happiness with a large smile stretched on her face. _'Eyes? What does she-Oh, boy do I ever feel stupid now. How could I forget that my eyes changed to my emotions?'_ I questioned, remembering how that was one of the big events that happened early on this morning.

"What the, how the hell does she have your eyes if a majority of them is BLACK?" Monk asked bring my attention to my eyes.

"Black?" I asked, throwing her a look to ask if it were true. She simple smiled and nodded.

"Well, black stands for rage and anger." She explained, knowing that this would at least distract SPR for at least a little bit while we got a break from being blamed for shit.

"What?" Monk asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"People who belong to the Tsuki clan have eyes that change color based on what emotion that they're feeling at the moment." I said, slowly calming down to the point that my eyes would go back to being just cinnamon and nothing else.

"But you always had just brown eyes like you have now. There's no way that you were always calm back when you were a part of SPR. Especially since you always showed so many emotions." Ayako stated, bringing everyone's attention to the one tid-bit that would be our main problem.

"Haven't you ever heard of contacts?" I asked, raising a brow at them while coming up with the lie smooth and flawlessly.

"That's why I didn't find out that she was a part of my clan until she forgot to wear her contacts one morning."

"She would forget something like that." Naru mussed, making me blush in embarrassment.

"Now her eyes are yellow." Madoka said, looking at me with curiosity.

"Definition?" Naru asked, or more demanded, Hanayo.

"It means embarrassment, and just for the sake of future explanations, pink is happiness, blue is sadness, green is envy, red is love, black is anger and rage, yellow is embarrassment, orange is content, gray is worry ,purple is loneliness, rainbow is well, you'll figure that one out, regular eye color is calm, and then white is fear and p-ah!" Her eyes flashed white as she clutched her side and began to fall to the ground.

"Hanayo!" Izo shouted, catching her before her face met the ground.

"Shit that hurt." She growled, curling in on herself.

"Let me guess, one of them is gonna be a soccer star?" I asked, knowing that one of the triples just kicked her instead of it being anything being actually wrong with her health.

"Yeah, I think they cracked a rib." She muttered, causing Izo's eyes to widen in panic.

"What? What do you cracked a rib? Are you alright? Do you want me to call Nowaki?" he asked, going into a frenzy. I sighed at just how over protective he was being, and he hadn't even found out about the triplets yet. This is gonna be fun explaining it to him.

"I'm fine. No need to call Nowaki and disturb him from his family."

"I'm a doctor myself, would you like me to take a quick look at it?" Ayako asked coming over towards us.

"If you don't mind Ayako-san."

"I told you I'm fine, there's no need." Hana protested, pouting at her husband.

"Hana, please, for me." He begged giving her puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, sorry for the bother Ayako."

"It's not a bother at all. Thank you for looking out for Mai when we couldn't." Ayako said, throwing a small smile my way that I returned happily, most likely causing my eyes to change color once again.

"No problem."

"You're fine, no crack or anything, just a bruise." Ayako deduced after a quick examination.

"Now the question is how did you get it?" Izo said, giving Hanayo a hard glare that she returned with a warm smile.

"I'll give you a clue and one guess." She said taking his hand and placing it on her slightly swollen stomach. I saw his eyes widen in less than a minute which could have only ment that one of the little ones kicked where his hand was.

"No way." He denied, moving his face closer to her belly so see what really was going on with her.

"Way." He looked back up at her with the largest smile I've ever seen in my life and pulled her into a hug and kissed her.

"What?" John asked, looking completely confused as to what had just transpired between the couple.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Gene said, making his way over to the rest of the group and taking his place next to his brother. "Don't worry, I already told Mom. You should have heard her over the phone. I swear that went into such waterworks that she could have made it so that the dust bowl in America wouldn't have happened." He said, laughing at when he had called home to tell them the good news. Only to have Naru sigh and shake his head at his brother.

"I'm surrounded by over emotional idiots."

"Well sorry for being a pregnant woman in her last bit of her first trimester with triples and mood swings!" Hanayo snapped, sending a glare Naru's way, startling everyone by her atitude. Then, once they got over her sharp reflexes to what people say, did they actually registered what she had said.

"TRIPLETS?" Izo exclaimed looking from her tummy to her face and back again.

"Surprised?"

"Yeah, surprised."

"How about we go inside and I make dinner and we can discuss the case, okay?" Hanayo said, getting up with the help of Izo and myself.

"Sounds good to me." Yasu said, materializing next to Gene, causing him to jump slightly.

"Awesome, also Mai, Gene, you should change into cloths before you catch your death, also Mai, can you help me make dinner?" Hana asked, making her way to the house with all of us fallowing behind.

"No problem, see you guys soon." I said, grabbing Gene as we entered the house and went over to our rooms. _'Looks like we were able to disable one bomb, now all that's left is to explain me running away and make up, then the whole situation will be done and over with. Why do I have a feeling that this isn't gonna end well?'_

**Me: Ya know, I feel a lot better now that I know that Mai and Naru are supposed to be a couple instead of Mai with Gene and Naru with Masako. No offence Gene.**

**Gene: None taken.**

**Naru: I do have to admit that I defiantly am intrigued as how w didn't know about this earlier.**

**Mai: Who knows.**

**Naru: True, I wonder if I stayed with you for your tea?**

**Mai: YOU JERK! *Throws tea set at Naru's head and then walks away***

**Me: You had that come'n.**

**Gene: Yep.**

**Naru: *Pouts* Just review.**


	8. Dinner & Breafings

**Me: Hey pepz!**

**Naru: Why must you butcher the English language?**

**Mai: Cauze its fun.**

**Naru: I'm surrounded by idiots.**

**Gene: HEY! *Crosses arms and pouts at Naru***

**Naru: You know, you're only proving my point.**

**Me: Anyway, putting ego-crushing-Naru aside, side note to seshomaru94 question in her review. The answer is yes, yes it is.**

**Mai: ONTO THE DISCLAIMER!**

**Gene: Silver-chan doesn't own Ghost Hunt!**

**Naru: R&R.**

**Mai's POV:**

I had changed out of my swimsuit, and was now back in my original apple blossom kimono. Making my way down to the kitchen, I heard everyone bombarding Hanayo with questions about the babies, me, and Gene. The poor woman didn't even have enough time to answer before the next question would fly out of their mouths.

Ayako, Madoka, and Monk were doing a majority of the questioning, and even Naru was throwing in a few questions here and there. John was trying to have them let Hanayo answer, but like usual went ignored and Masako comforted him in his failure. Lin was typing out everything being said filling the room with a clicking sound that went along with everyone's constant chatter. Knowing Hana, she won't be able to hold onto her sanity for long if this keeps up.

'_She always did hate being fussed over or given too much attention.'_

"Are you guys done interrogating her yet?" I asked, stepping into the kitchen and successfully taking their attention off of Hana.

"Mai, thank Gods you've come!" She shouted, leaping off of her chair and glomping onto me.

"Hana, careful!" Izo scolded, taking her off of me.

"Hi, hi. Whatever you say. Now then Mai, let's get dinner on the table." She said, gracefully twisting out of Izo's grip. Grabbing my hand, she led me into the kitchen and left everyone else in the family room. She pulled out lean pork mince, cabbage, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic cloves, gow gee wrappers, vegetable oil, and teriyaki sauce. Not recognizing them as any recipe that she had taught me while I was here, I began to look around to see if I could somehow figure it out on my own.

"So what are we making? I asked, looking at all of the ingredients that she had pulled out one last time to see if I had just forgotten a recipe she taught me a while ago. "Gyoza."

"Gyoza? What's Gyoza?" As soon as those words left my mouth stopped dead in her tracks and looked me dead in the eye.

"You haven't ever heard of Gyoza?" she asked shakily. I nodded my head and her eyes widened so much that I was positive that they would fall out of her head. "Alright, to make thirty Gyoza you need 400g lean pork mince, 1 cup finely shredded cabbage, 1 teaspoon sesame oil , 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 3cm piece of peeled, grated ginger , 2 crushed garlic cloves , 30 gow gee wrappers , and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. While you need 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil for the dipping sauce. Can you measure them out for me?" she asked, getting out pans cutting boards and knifes. I easily measured everything out and kept them in their measuring tools just to be on the safe side. "Okey-dokey. First, place the mince, cabbage, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a bowl and stir it together. Then place wrappers on work surface so that you can then make dumplings by spooning 1 heaped teaspoon mince mixture on 1 half of wrappers. Brush edges with cold water and then fold the remaining wrapper halves over to enclose filling. Press edges together to close it up. Heat half the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Then remove it from the heat and turn it on to medium-high. Arrange half the dumplings in pan and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes or until bases are browned. Add 1/2 cup hot water, then cover with a lid. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Once you remove it from the heat, uncover and then let it stand for 1 to 2 minutes or until dumplings come away from pan easily. Repeat with remaining oil and dumplings. Then while you're waiting for the dumplings to cook you can make the sauce. You make it by placing the teriyaki sauce and sesame oil in a bowl and then stir it together." I fallowed her directions to the 'T' and he helped me out along the way. Before I knew it, we had successfully made dinner and Hana called everyone in for dinner as I placed everything out on the dining room table.

"It smells really good girls." Izo said, hugging his wife before taking his seat at the head of the table.

"Thanks, Mai did a majority of the work." She said, taking her seat next to him and motioning for me to sit across from her.

"Is the food safe to eat then?" Gene asked, poking into the room after taking a shower and changing into different cloths. Everyone turned to look at him with a confused face. "What, she super clumsy so I was just making sure she didn't accidently poison the food."

"HEY!" I shouted, pouting over at him as the room burst out into laughter.

"Mai would do something like that." Masako said, scoffing at me with her head held high.

"Actually Mai is an expediential cook. I advise that you taste it before you judge something like that." Hanayo said, throwing a glance around the table shutting everyone up in an instant. "Now that's better. Thank you for the food." She said, being the one to take the first bite of the Gyoza. Everyone waited patiently for her reaction to the morsel. Even I was wary about eating. She reached for her cup of tea and finally noticed that she was being watched by everyone. "What are you all staring at? If you don't eat soon then the lovely meal that Mai has made will be cold." As soon as those words left her mouth, everyone dug in.

"Mmmm. Mai, when did you become such a good cook?" Monk asked, stuffing food into his mouth.

"Hana-chan taught me."

"She must be a good teacher if she could make someone as hopeless as you create something this good." Masako scoffed, making my blood start to boil. Before I could lash out at her, I turned my attention to Hanayo and saw that she stopped eating.

"Hana, are you not hungry?" Izo asked, making everyone look over at her.

"No, it's just-" She looked over at the food with slight disgust and I instantly knew what was wrong with it.

"Looks like Mai isn't all that good if her teacher doesn't even want to eat it." Masako said with a snooty glance sent my way. "Personally, I don't blame her. In fact, I don't believe that I could eat anther bite."

"No, it's not the food it's just-" Hanayo stopped herself from speaking, knowing that she didn't want to gross anyone out with her weird cravings as of late. Deciding to just ignore what they were saying, I got up from the table, without anyone noticing, and made my way into the kitchen to retrieve what it was that Hana was craving.

"It's just what?" Izo asked.

"It's just her pregnancy cravings. She hasn't been pouring this on everything she eats." I said, answering for her as I placed the two bottles that contained the two things she's been craving for like crazy.

"Honey mustard and BBQ sauce?" Gene asked, looking at the two bottles in slight disgust.

"He-he, yeah." She said, taking the two bottles and pouring some of each onto her plate. She then took one Gyoza and dipped it into both. "Yum."

"Not even going to comment. Back to the matters at hand. This case seems to be posing quite a challenge. Yasuhara, brief everyone on your research." Naru said, nodding towards Yasu as the signal to begin explaining his findings.

"Okay Big Boss! So far there has been blood messages, people locked in rooms, those locked rooms filling up with blood, and animals, mainly dogs, disappearing and then reappearing dead. As of now there has been no disappearances, and we were called in before one happens."

"Wow, that's a lot of stuff happening." Monk said, counting up all the things that Yasu had mentioned on his hands.

"Sounds like we're gonna need lots of soap." Ayako depaned, wrinkling her nose in displeasure at the fact of there being a high chance of us getting all bloody.

"Um, Davis-san. Doesn't it sound a bit too dangerous to actually sleep there?" John asked, bringing this little safety hazard to everyone's attention.

"That is correct. Which is why we will be sleeping here at the Tsuki household during the case while our base will be at the actual haunting."

"Wait, you're all staying here?" I asked, not sure whether to be extremely happy, or worried that I would be spending a lot of time with my old family.

"I don't believe that I said anything else, or did your brain function deteriorate as much as your life has?"

"Why you-" I began, before being cut off by Hana holding up her hand.

"Oliver deary, please remember what it was that I told you on the phone before you got here, because I will without any problems what-so-ever fallow through on it." Naru had visibly flinched away from her, and quickly turned his gaze onto Izo.

"What are the sleeping arrangements?"

"Well, seeing as we only have three guestrooms, and one is being turned into a nursery, the girls will be sleeping in Mai's room as the boys will be sleeping in Gene's room." Hanayo answered, getting up from her seat at the table. She stood still and quiet for a moment before her eyes turned into the calm silver. "I'll get the door."

"What door." Yasu asked, just as a door bell rang throughout the house.

"Well that answers that question." Gene said, shooting Yasu a look down the table.

"What I want to know is who could be coming here this late at night?" Izo said, getting up to fallow his wife to see who this mysterious visitor was.

"Let's go see." Said Monk, usurping Ayako, Gene, and Yasu out of their seats to see who it was. Naru fallowed his brother, and the rest of the team fallowed after him. As I got up to fallow them myself, a sickening feeling pooled in the bottom of my gut. '_Why do I have a feeling that it's not going to be good?'_I thought, making my way down to the shop behind everyone else.

**Me: Well that wasn't one of my finest chapters.**

**Gene: Yeah, um what was up with the Gyoza?**

**Me: I don't know, I found it on the internet and I wanted to put it in here.**

**Mai: So this was a legit recipe?**

**Me: Yep.**

**Naru: I doubt that Mai would be a good cook though.**

**Mai: HEY!**

**Me: And here starts another fight.**

**Gene: Please review everyone!**


	9. The Missing Child and Mai

**Me: YES! Only 5 more days and then I am officially a Jr.**

**Naru: I don't see why that's such a big deal. I graduated collage by the time that I was your age.**

**Gene: You don't have to go and kill her thunder.**

**Mai: Yeah Naru, just look at what you did!**

**Silver: He's right, I'm just an average idiot that will get nowhere in life. I'm just a pathetic waste of space. *Sobs in a corner***

**Mai: See! Now go and apologize!**

**Naru: Why should I, she is only an average idiot. *Silver begins to cry harder***

**Gene: SHIT! *Goes and hugs Silver* It's okay, you already know a lot more about medicinal herbs than Noll does, so you're not average at all.**

**Me: You're just saying that.**

**Gene: No I'm not.**

**Naru: Yes he is.**

**Mai: Naru, Shut. UP! *Whacks Naru over the head with Hungary's frying pan* Please R&R everyone!**

**Mai's POV:**

"Hanayo, thank heavens you're home. You must help me, you simply must!" Was the first thing that I heard when I made my way down the stairs. Not missing a beat, I ran over to where the sound was coming from to find a woman clutching onto Hanayo as if she were a lifeline. I was unable to see her face, so all that I could do was just wait for them to move so that I could see who this woman was.

"Calm down Yuuki, tell me what's wrong." Hanayo said, leading the frantic woman to the creation room. There she sat her down on a chair and sat across from her. Yuuki was a woman that I would have to guess would be in her early thirties. She had black hair that fell in soft sweeping curls to her shoulders, and her eyes were exactly like mine had been. The exact same shade of cinnamon. Everyone soon filled into the room and formed a semi-circle around Yuuki.

"It's Chiyoye. She and a few of her friends went into the blood house, and around midnight I heard screams heading my way. When I opened up the door to see what was going on the girls ran into the house in tears. I asked them what was wrong, and, and, and-" Yuuki broke down crying as sobs racked her thin fragile frame. Just the very scene of what could have made this woman sub come to this state was heart wrenching.

"Shhhh." Hana cooed, rubbing her back in a soothing manner. "It's okay, just tell us what's wrong and I'll help the best I can." Yuuki then took a deep breath to calm herself somewhat and looked at Hana with broken eyes.

"They said that Chiyoye went missing! Please Hanayo you have to use your Clairvoyance to help me find her!" Everyone in the room, except me, Izo, Hanayo, and Yuuki, were surprised by the mentioning of Clairvoyance. After all, Naru and I were the only ones in the group that could actually do it. Even though I only did it once.

"Alright, I'll try to see if I can find her. Do you have something of hers on you?"

"Yes, her class ring. It was her favorite and never left home without it." Yuuki said as she began to dig through her purse. She soon pulled out an elegantly designed ring. It had a Ruby on it, and had her name engraved into it on one side while on the other was an imprint of the astral sign Leo. Hana took a look at the ring and smiled at it.

"Alright then." She went out to reach for the erring when I bad feeling swept over me. I questioned what it could mean, but it didn't take that long for me to figure it out. _'Damn it! If she does this she could hurt the babies!'_ Quickly slapping her hand away from it, everyone looked at me strangely.

"Hana, you can't." Was all that I could really say under everyone's intense stares.

"Why?"

"Let's see, because you're pregnant and using your powers to this extent would only land you in the hospital." I explained making everyone realize that fact and looked at me understandingly.

"Then who will find Chiyoye?" Yuuki asked, quickly becoming even more frantic then she was before.

"Looks like there's no other option. I'll-"

"I'll do it." I said, quickly cutting off Naru knowing that this would be the only chance that I had to prove myself to SPR that I'm no longer the girl I used to be.

"Mai, I knew you were an idiot, but that is just too much even for you?" Naru asked, causing me to glare at him for calling me and idiot as if nothing had happened and he didn't abandon me and SPR.

"Why do you say that?"

"Mai, you aren't powerful enough or knowledgeable enough to handle something like this. It'll be better if you just let Naru handle it." Monk said in the brotherly voice that I had grown to love and trust until the day that I ran away.

"But-"

"Mai, you're not capable of doing this." Naru stated without a question of doubt in his tone.

"But I did it with Masako." I countered, knowing that only pure facts that he could see would be the only thing to sway him from where he was right now. Unfortunately he hasn't been here while I trained my fucking ass off so he won't know just how much I had actually grown without demonstrating it.

"And it hasn't happened since." He said, going over to Yuuki to retrieve the ring. I began to panic and I did the first thing that came to mind.

"But, but, Hanayo, please."

"Well, why not." She said shrugging her shoulders. "I don't see the harm in it."

"THANK YOU!" I yelled running off to go change into my priestess outfit.

**Me: Man that was an annoying chapter.**

**Mai: Why?**

**Me: Because I really want to write the next chapters.**

**Gene: Why?**

**Me: Because I'm adding a fight scene and I'm supper pumped for it?**

**Naru: Why?**

**Me: What is this? The 'Why?' game or something?**

**Everyone minus Silver: Why?**

**Me: Uh-huh. (Rolls eyes and turns to reader) Please review!**


	10. Argument 1

**Me: Hey everyone!**

**Naru: You need different openings.**

**Me: Well sorry! Why don't you do the next opening then.**

**Naru: Fine, I'm positive that I could make it much better then you every could.**

**Me: Fine!**

**Naru: Fine!**

**Me: Fine!**

**Naru: Fine!**

**Me: Fine!**

**Mai&Gene: PICKLES!**

**Naru: What?**

**Mai: Nothing.**

**Gene: We just wanted to be included into the opener.**

**Me: Fine. I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please R&R.**

**Naru's POV:**

"Why did you say yes?"

"Because Mai is a very capable young woman and I believe that she will be able to do this with no problem at all. Also, I would prefer not to have a young man passed out in the middle of my floor." She said, pointing a mental finger towards me. _'How the bloody hell does she know that I pass out from using my abilities?"_

"_She just has skill."_ Gene though, connecting to my mind as we did so many times ago when we were little kids.

"_Shut it."_

"I hope you know that she's going to fail." I depaned, pulling myself away from my one on one mental chat with Gene.

"She won't." Hana disagreed, stating it as if it were some sort of prophecy.

"Hana, maybe you should listen to Oliver. He is the main researcher here." Izo suggested, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Yes, that may be true, but I think that I would know just what Mai can and cannot do. Especially since I have been testing and teaching her how to use her gifts as they come and grow unlike a certain researcher who just left her without even considering that she'd need help controlling them." She said, now glaring daggers at me as her tone took a turn for the worst. I resisted the urge to back away as her glare only intensified. Luckily she diverted her gaze back onto Izo making me let out a sigh of relief that I didn't know that I was holding.

"I understand that, but I think that Noll would know more about her since she worked under him for three years where as you only have known her for less than three months." Izo reasoned, calmly trying to explain the vast knowledge on Mai that she didn't have while I do.

"Are you saying that I don't know her?" She snapped, shooting up from her seat and knocking Izo's hand off.

"No, I'm saying that you don't know her as well as him." Izo said, quickly trying to fix the bomb that he set off.

"I would beg to differ."

"Hanayo, there are just some things that you think you know, but you really don't and this is one of them, so just let them do their job."

"What?" she asked in a whisper, taking a step back as she looked up at Izo with wide eyes.

"I said-"

"No, I heard you. You don't think that I'm just guessing on everything where as he's Mr. Know-it-all now do you?"

"On this subject, yes." Izo stated, giving off an air of I-am-right-and-you-know-it-so-just-give-up-already.

"I see, so you trust some boy who thinks he's some hot shot over your own wife." She snapped, obviously not reading into the air that Izo was giving off.

"No, that's not-"

"I don't want to hear it!" She shouted, covering up her ears and taking some more steps back to gain more distance between them.

"Hana will you just listen to me?" Izo begged, trying to get in front of her, only for her to turn around and face the wall.

"No, I believe that you made your statement quite clear." She said crossing her arms with a pouty look on her face. _'And I thought that Mai was bad. When Izo told me about his lovely wife he never mentioned this. I wonder if it's just the hormones?'_

"Hana." He said, in a quieter tone, trying to pull one of the many married man's weapons out… the emotions. _'Now this should defiantly work. It always worked on Mai.'_

"Don't you 'Hana' me!" She exclaimed, turning her body so that she was once again facing all of us.

'_Looks like that tactic failed.'_ Gene thought, sending the message to me to once again start our own conversation without interruption the couple fighting at the moment.

'_No kidding. Is this how all pregnant women are?'_

'_Possibly, but I'd put up with it if it ment that I'd be a dad.'_

'_I'd pass. I already have enough stress dealing with the idiots surrounding me, and I don't need a hormonal wife on top of that.'_

'_HEY!'_

'_Do you deny that you are an idiot?'_

'_Yes, yes I do!'_

'_I have thoughts otherwise.'_

'_Why you- is this any way to speak to your older brother.'_

'_If you're older than me, then act it once in a while instead of a little kid that just learned what two plus two equals.'_

'_Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just wait until-"_

"Hana please, this is ridiculous!" Izo yelled, startling Gene and I and pulling away from our conversation and back onto the situation on hand.

"I'll tell you what's ridiculous, having to hear from you own spouse that they trust someone else more then you!" Hanayo yelled back. Her face was now red and her body began to tremble as the volume of their conversation grew louder and louder. _'Damn it Mai, if you're going to do this hurry up and get here already. How long does it take to change out of one outfit and into another?'_

"Now you're just throwing things out of proportion."

"It wouldn't have come to this if you just _trusted_ me!"

"I do trust you, but Oliver has more knowledge on this subject."

"But he doesn't know what she can do like I do!" she screamed, turning to go for the door only to get blocked by Izo. Realizing that she couldn't get around him, she settled for just turning around yet again.

"Hanayo will you just shut up and listen to me!" He shouted, grabbing a hold of both her shoulders so that she would face him. Her head was down and the rest of her body was shaking, most likely out of anger. Knowing that he wouldn't get anywhere if she was this mad he took a deep breath and made his tone softer."Hana please."

"I think you've said enough." She said, pushing him away from her as she turned to the client. "I'm sorry for all of the drama, can I get you some tea?"

"Yes that would be lovely. Also if I may return the favor by giving you some advice as to being a mother." Yuuki suggested, pointing towards Hanayo's slightly swollen stomach.

"That would be very nice, thank you." Hanayo said, smiling brightly at Yuuki as they got up and started to make their way to the kitchen.

"Wait, we'll go with." Izo said, trying to catch up and watch over his wife.

"Don't bother. You've already caused enough stress for Hanayo and the babies as it is. If she has anymore I fear that she'll have a miscarriage, so please by all means, stay here." Yuuki snapped, giving him a cold glare that made everyone, even _me_ take a step away from her.

"Well that could have gone better." Gene said once they were out of ear shot.

"Damn it, if only she could understand that I don't want her or Mai to get hurt." Izo sighed, running his hand through his hair. I glanced over at him and saw that he looked beyond exhausted. Izo is by no means a pushover. Nor is he as hard as steal. He, very much like myself, puts up a hard front that he only lets down or lets slip when he's comfortable around those people. Not once, through all of the shit that I put him through while he was helping me with my research did he ever snap like that or look this tiered. It was then and there that I truly felt sympathy truly ever go out to someone.

"If she's anything like Mai, then she won't stop until she has her way or has no other options." I said, taking out my black note book and a pen to write in the information that we had gathered from Yuuki since there was nothing else for us to really do until the girls came back.

"That's Hana alright." Izo laughed softly. "That's my Hana."

**Me: Bleh. I really suck at fighting scenes. Especially since they're in Naru's POV.**

**Naru: I can't help it if you can't understand the complexity that is my wonderful mind.**

**Gene: Shut up you idiot scientist.**

**Naru: Why don't you try to be more educated stupid medium?**

**Mai: Come on you two, no fighting.**

**Naru: This doesn't involve you, you stupid idiotic klutz.**

**Mai: WHAT WAS THAT YOU COLD HEARTED, INSECURE, WORK-A-HOLIC, TEA ADDICTED, SELF CENTERED, **_**NARSSISCEST**_**? *Chases Naru around with a battle ax"**

**Me: 0.0 … Okay then. As Mai tries to kill Naru, Gene would you like to do the closer?**

**Gene: Sure. PLEASE EVERYONE REVIEW! IF YOU DO I'LL GIVE YOU ALL A HUG!**


	11. What Happened to Chiyoye?

**Naru: Welcome back to yet another pointless chapter of Silver's distasteful writing.**

**Me: HEY!**

**Naru: What? You told me to do the intro and I did.**

**Mai: Silver your intros are better.**

**Me: Thank you Mai. *Gives Mai a cookie***

**Mai: YAY! COOKIE! XD *Runs off with said cookie***

**Naru: Simpleton.**

**Me: Yeah, yeah. Where's Gene.**

**Naru: Over there.**

**Me: Where?**

**Naru: There. *Grabs Silver's face and turns it to a long line of fan girls***

**Me: What in the name of nature is going on?**

**Gene: I'm giving out those hugs I promised. ;)**

**Me: Playboy.**

**Naru: R&R.**

**Mai's POV:**

'_UGH! Why is it that these kimonos are so hard to get on today! I mean normally it only takes me about half a minute and I'm out the door, but no. Today is the day that the kimono Gods decides to punish me.'_ I thought as I rushed out of my room and down the steps. As I rounded the corner I saw Yuuki hugging Hanayo who was kneeling on the floor bawling her eyes out. Deciding not to interrupt, I stood to the side and decided to stay out of their way.

"Shhhh, it's okay. He was thinking of the best for you and Mai's safety in his own Jack-assy way." Yuuki said, making me question which _he_ it was.

"I know, but still. Doesn't he trust me?" Hana asked weakly. She looked up and I could see that all of her fighting spirit was stripped away from her. She resembled nothing to the happy-go-lucky woman that she was only hours ago. _'Whoever made her this upset will wish that whatever spirit is haunting the house that they're looking into got to them before I did. Oh, just wait till I get my hands on them!'_ I thought, planning all the different ways that I could torture someone to the fullest extent without killing them.

"Of course he does, and he loves you ten times more. He just worded like a Jerk. And that, plus pregnancy-mood-swings are not a good combination."

"Yeah, I just want to show them that Mai isn't the same weak, defenseless, untrained girl that they knew and is now a strong independent woman." A small smile began to form itself on my lips as I saw just how much she believed in me. Heck I don't even believe that much in me.

"They'll see it in time." Yuuki reassured, glancing over at me and winking to acknowledge my presence in the room, which may I say, I thought went unnoticed. Hanayo took a few deep breaths and then looked up at Yuuki with sober silver eyes filled with sincerity.

"True, I'm sorry that I'm adding my own drama onto your own. I must seem like a total bitch."

"Heavens no. I would be doing the same right now if I were in your shoes. I still can't believe that, that bastard made you cry like that. Especially after he just got home after three months and found out that you were pregnant with his triplets!" She squealed tacking the conversation onto a whole other train track all together. Deciding that we should refocus on why Yuuki was actually here for, I made my presence known with a slight outburst of my own.

"Okay, what happened, why did it happen, and whose heads do I have to make roll?" I asked now that Hana was in a stabler mood than before when I first came down.

"Izo and I got into a little spat about whether you should try it or not, and it went out of proportion. It's nothing." She reassured, giving off a confidant air, which didn't really match the puffiness and redness around her eyes.

"Nothing my ass. She was balling her eyes out because of how thoughtless Izo was in wording his sentences. I mean really, what smart male does that?" Yuuki butted in, making Hanayo blush and eyes turn yellow. **(A/N: Translations to eye colors are in ch 7)**

"What did he say?" I asked through gritted teeth, trying to figure out the best way to show just the amount of damage that he did to his wife without hurting him.

"In short he trusted Oliver's opinion over his own wife's."

"No!" I gasped, unable to wrap my mind around that concept. I mean if I were in Hana's shoes and Naru in Izo's _then_ I could understand it, but otherwise it seemed utterly impossible!

"Yes!"

"Oh it is _**on**_. No one makes Hana cry and gets away with it. Not even her own husband!"

"No Mai, Yuuki, I'm fine, really. It's just the stupid pregnancy mood swings. I was the one that threw it out of proportion." She said, her yellow eyes turning a soft purplely blue, showing just how bad this was affecting her.

"So, if I were you I would have done the same thing." Yuuki scoffed, sticking her nose up into the air reminding me so much of Masako. That is if Masako were on the right side and not on the bitch side.

"I understand but, aren't we here to help you find your daughter?" Hanayo asked, bringing into focus the real reason this all even started in the first place.

"Oh heavens I can't believe I forgot! Here Mai, this is the ring that she always wore. Her friends found it when they were looking for her before they got frightened and ran home." She said, handing me the ring.

"Wait, so she went missing while everyone was still in the house?" Naru asked, sneaking up behind us and making us all jump.

"Naru what are you doing here?" I asked, clutching my heart.

"You all were taking so long we thought that you may have forgotten that there was a missing child."

"Why you!" I exclaimed, ready to jump at him with the only thing keeping me from doing so being Hana's arm around my own.

"Calm Mai, your eyes are turning black again." She said, calming herself and implying that I do the same. I fallowed her lead and took some calming breaths letting the anger that I had for Naru at this point in time go with the Carbon Dioxide. _'That's right! I can use sciencey terms too!'_

"I'm okay. I am okay." I said once I was confident that my eyes would be the color that SPR has known since we met. We all migrated back into the creation room where Yuuki, Hanayo, and I each took a seat at the table. Not even looking over at Izo and Hana, I could tell that there was some serious tension between the two. Luckily Naru for once was of some use in changing the atmosphere in the room.

"Ms. Yuuki, the answer to my previous question."

"What? Oh, yes, yes of course, the reason the kids left there at all was because they saw a knife fall to the ground in the middle of a room."

"I see, Mai, if you please." Hana said, making sure that no one said anything that would have stopped me from my task at hand.

I nodded my head and the put all of my focus on the ring in my hands. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, and then when I reopened them I was no longer in the creation room. No, I was now astral projecting into the haunted house. _'Score one for Mai, and zero for Naru.'_ Yes I know that he was right a lot in the past, but now that he's back the score card is cleared and I have just pulled into the lead. Before I could relish the fact that I was right for once, I was pulled through a door and shoved into what would be yet another nightmare memory.

"_Guys, where are you?" I asked, looking around the house, trying to find the people that I was with only moments ago. Looking around the place that I was at, it seemed as if I were in a haunted fun house at the carnivals. You know where there would be a trap door, and then you would be stuck there until someone came and got you. Yet, I couldn't for the life of me figure out how I got here._

"_Back at the house." A voice responded, causing me to drop my flashlight._

"_Who's there?" I questioned as my body tensed. I quickly looked around, but was unable to see anything farther than a foot away from me._

"_Nothing, just a dog." Suddenly out of the shadows a large dog came out and began to circle me._

"_A dog, but dogs can't talk." I said, trying to look for a way to get away from the large talking dog, which I was pretty damn sure was no dog._

"_Well I can!" Suddenly the dog jumped up and knocked me down. I struggled to try and get away from it, but unfortunately I had no ability to move._

"_No!" I cried as it began to bite me and take out large chucks of skin from my body. Pain consumed a majority of the thoughts I processes while the rest was on the sheer terror that I felt. Struggling was getting me nowhere, and I could do no more than just yell and hope that someone would come to my aid. I took a deep breath and then shouted with as much strength that I could possibly muster in my broken and battered body. "Please, someone, anyone, HELP ME!"_

_***IMPORTANT! Apparently Fan fiction is starting to take down rated M fan fictions that include sex. Already there have been some authors that have been terminated. Please pass this info along to other readers and writers. Thank you.***_

"_Don't waste your breath. In fact, don't breathe at all!"_

"_MPH!" The next thing that I know, a pillow is put up against my face making my already aching body crave for sweet air that unfortunately wouldn't reach my lungs. At this point in time I realized that I would die. There is no one that can save me now. Finally letting go of the hope that I so desperately clung on to, there was only one last thing that I can remember before falling into the black sleep that I've only encountered in dreams. That last thing being a single phrase and a quick pain in my neck and then finally sweet nothingness._

"_Humph, looks like you're also no better than a dog."_

"Mai, are you alright?" Mom asked immediately as I started to come around. _'I swear, these physic things are gonna be the end of me!'_ Before I could reassure her that I was indeed fine and just a little shaken, Naru had to but in with his holier-than-thou attitude and totally cut me down to a size that I can very happily say out grew.

"Of course she is. There's no way that she could have done it, so all she did was just waste our time and her energy."

"Well if you would let her speak then I'm damn sure that you'll hear wrong!" Mom shouted, no longer trying to keep her cool around anyone since we had all seen a slightly darker side to her that she doesn't show often.

"Why can't you just accept that Oliver knows more then you?" Izo asked, looking at his wife in disbelief that she could still believe in me after everyone has told him what I could and couldn't do before I met Hanayo.

"Because I am right and you are wrong and," Hanayo suddenly cut herself off and then looked at the ring in my hands. She scrunched her eyebrows together and then focused her attention on me."Mai, let me see that for a second." Not seeing the harm that it would do, I handed it to her which she then in turn held it up to the light."Oh my!"

"What?" Yuuki asked in a worried tone.

"There's blood on this ring. Mai, can you tell them what you saw?" She asked, focusing all of her attention on me and no one else.

"It wasn't like last time when I helped find Hikaru when he got lost in the forest where I was just an observer. This time, I was actually Chiyoye. Almost as if,"

"You were looking into the past." She stated more then asked, finishing my sentence for me since I couldn't really describe the experience myself.

"Yeah, but how did you know?"

"Because I have no doubt that the blood on this ring is Chiyoye's and that whatever you saw, happened before the kids found this ring."

"Then what did you see?" Yuuki asked, grabbing my hands. I looked up at Hana and saw her blue eyes nod solemnly at the news that I had to relay to Yuuki.

"Well, I was in a dark place. I couldn't really move around and I had no clue as to how I got there. I called out to my friends to see if they could find me, and then something showed up. It was just a black mass at first, and it called itself a dog. I talked back saying how dogs couldn't talk and then it leapt up at me and it knocked me down. I tried to get free, but it kept biting and clawing to the point where everything was just a big blur. I tried calling out for help once more, but then it covered my nose and mouth. The last things I remember is hearing 'Looks like you're no better than a dog' then pressure and pain on my neck and finally black." I ended up looking down at my feet instead of at Yuuki since I couldn't help but feel as if it were my fault that Yuuki's daughter had died. Little did I know that I was crying until a warm safe pair of arms wrapped around me, and a soft voice whipped away all the hurt that I felt.

"Shhh, I'm sorry that you had to see that, and Yuuki, I'm sorry but-"

"But she's dead. I thought so, but I just had to make sure." Yuuki stated, finishing up Hana's news for her.

"Don't worry, we will make this thing pay, find her, and bring her home." I said, feeling an unknown surge of anger swell within me as thoughts on how I was gonna make whatever this thing was pay the most prolonged and painful way that I could.

"Thank you Mai, thank you." I heard her whisper. She then got up and started to head to the door.

"Do you want to stay longer?" Hana asked, offering her friend a place to be with friends just in case she were to have a mental breakdown and need comforting.

"No, I have to tell Kaito." She explained. I could only imagine that Kaito was her husband and that it would be even harder for Yuuki to tell her husband the news of their daughter.

"I see, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you Hana, and Mai, please keep the ring. I believe that it will do you more good than it will me. Good night."

"Good night." Hana and I said. We solemnly watched her leave the shop and I could only pray that she would be alight even though I knew that there was no way in hell that would be possible. _'Just you wait doggie, I'm gonna make sure that you're house broken by the time I'm done with you!'_

**Me: Ugh.**

**Gene: Silver, you don't look so good.**

**Me: And I don't feel so good.**

**Naru: What did you do this time?**

**Me: Well I was praying to the porcelain Gods for mercy for about three days.**

**Mai: Well that explains why you didn't update for a while.**

**Me: You have no idea.**

**Mai: Okay then, everyone, please review!**

**Gene: Yeah it might make Silver feel better.**

**Naru: Review.**


	12. Argument 2

**Me: OMG I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN FOREVER!**

**Naru: Silver, stop being an idiot and calm down, I'm sure that there was a perfect reason as to why this God awful story has been on the bottom of your to do list.**

**Mai: Naru be nice!**

**Me: Whatever, I don't even pay attention to what he says anymore.**

**Gene: You and me both girl, you and me both.**

**Me: Anyway, I'm on a family road trip to Boston for a Lithuanian Dance Festival that only happens once every 4 years (which I will be in) and have limited computer time (thanks to my mom) so I can't really write.**

**Mai: Cool, where are you going to be dancing?**

**Me: My dance group will be in square 3 which is right in front of all the famous people who will be coming.**

**Naru: Obviously it can't be that important if I wasn't invited.**

**Me: Gene, will you do the honors? *Holds up a frying pan***

**Gene: Why I'd love to. *Takes frying pan***

**Naru: O.o … SHIT! *Starts running***

**Gene: Get back here! *Chases after Naru***

**Me: Mai, will you do the other honors?**

**Mai: Sure, Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt. Please R&R. :)**

**Naru: HELP!**

**Mai's POV:**

"You were reading me the whole time weren't you." I stated more then asked since when I woke up Hanayo immediately knew that something involved death and asked if I was okay.

"You're getting better at telling."

"Why thank you."

"Um, does someone mind explaining what just happened?" Monk questioned, reminding us that we still had company over that weren't aware of the abilities that Hanayo possessed and the abilities that I had gained.

"Yeah, what do you mean read?" Ayako added, putting her hand on her hip and a stern look that would have made me nervous before SPR disbanded. However, SPR has disbanded and her look no longer holds anything over me, hell Naru's glare doesn't even get to me that much anymore. _'Then again, he really hasn't glared directly at me, so I really don't know how much it affects me.'_

"Well, Hanayo can read minds." I stated, deciding to fill SPR in on at least some of the things that Hanayo is capable of.

"So farther explanation please." Yasu asked, as he moved his glasses up so that they shone in the light.

"It means that I saw exactly what Mai had experienced through her vision of Chiyoye's death." Hanayo said, turning from the doorway and facing the rest of SPR with a sad smile on her face.

"I believe that you just covered up the fact that we could of saved her had Noll just look instead of arguing and wasting time." Izo stated, causing everyone to look between him and his wife in shock. I focused in completely on Hanayo to see what might be running through her head only to her head down and fists white knuckled. _'How the hell did she end up marrying that bastard?'_ I questioned, oh so very tempted to slap him to kingdom come.

"I think that, that may also be the case." Naru agreed, making me snap my head up towards the man that I still have slight feelings for in utter disbelief.

"I never thought of it that way." Monk said, placing his hand on his chin as he thought over what Izo just purposed. Horror struck me as my brother like figure even began to question my honesty in what I saw and said.

"That actually seems pretty logical if you put into that light." Ayako added, nodding her head in agreement to what everyone was thinking.

"You. Take. That. Back!" I threatened, feeling the most anger that I had ever felt in my life rise up from the very depth of my being. I felt Hanayo touch my arm and quickly clamed back down so as not to frighten everyone with my changing eyes which I'm surprised no one had commented on since they should have rapidly changed due to the rollercoaster of emotions that was going through me.

"What, are you going to do about it if I don't?" Naru asked, raising a brow at me to hear what I could possibly come up with that would affect him. _'What will I do?' _I questioned, realizing that I actually had no plan or idea that would make even a reasonable comeback.

"I'll, I'll, I'll- I don't really know right now, but I'll make sure that it's really, really bad!"

"What are you going to do? Runaway again? Wow that's absolutely terrifying." Masako teased, walking around the group and going to stand next to Naru. She slipped her arms around his and he didn't budge one inch away from her. Like when we didn't even know Naru was Oliver, he didn't even acknowledge her and instead put all his attention onto me.

"Maybe it'll be best if you two stayed out of this case and left us alone while we work." suggested Naru, taking out his infamous black note book and opening it to a page.

I was just about to tell him off on how I would by no means stay out of the investigation, but Hanayo looked up with a tear stained face and black eyes that portrayed the pure annoyance of her anger. SPR had a mixed look of guilt and horror etched into their faces all except for Izo, Gene, Naru, and myself. Izo looked at his wife with so much apology that I thought that he would burst into a long apology about how he was wrong, Gene mirrored my own look of anger, except it was at a smaller degree, and Naru just went on reading as if nothing had been done or said.

Now Hanayo would normally just ignore something as small as someone not paying attention to one of her looks, but no. This time was very much different, and the narrowing of her eyes was pure proof of that. She glared right through Naru's notebook and straight at him making him look up at her slowly with slightly widened eyes. Once she had everyone's attention on her and was able to make eye contact with everyone she crossed her arms and sifted her weight to her left leg.

"Well duh. Of course I won't be going with you guys. I plan on helping from the comfort and safety of my home. I mean hello pregnant woman here. Now if you don't mind I will be going to bed. This has been enough excitement for one night." Hanayo stated, catching me (surprisingly) and everyone else completely off guard. Rolling her eyes at our stunned silence, she uncrossed her arms and made her way to her husband. "Izo, you're coming with me." She said, grabbing his arm and leading him away from the group and towards their bedroom.

"But-" Izo protested, only to get cut off by a quick kiss from his wife.

"You said you didn't trust me, made me cry, accused me of something I didn't do, made me cry again, and now you are going to bed with me, because no matter how mad you made me I want my husband that I have missed so much to be next to me, and that's just not gonna happen in this negative vibe filled area. Okay?" She asked looking at him with purple tinted eyes reflecting the loneliness that she felt the whole time that he was away from her. He smiled softly at her and kissed her back. When they pulled away her eye color was the normal red color that I had gotten so used to seeing during my time around her.

"Okay. Good night everyone." Izo called, taking the arm that was being held by Hanayo and wrapping it around her waist instead, pulling her close to him.

"Good night." SPR, excluding Naru, Gene, and Lin, said. I just nodded my head towards him, since I still wasn't all too happy with how he handled Hana when he knows, or should know, how overly emotional a pregnant woman is.

"Night Mai, Gene. Pleasant nightmares." Hanayo said, smiling warmly at us, causing me to reflexively smile back at her. I noticed how she didn't say anything to SPR and had to hold back a laugh when I saw her do our little hand sign meaning that she doesn't like someone and point at Naru.

"Pleasant nightmares." Gene and I said simultaneously. Hanayo and Izo walked out of the room and we were all still quiet until we heard their door close.

"Now that those two are alright, back to the matter at hand. Mai you should just stay out of this case. You'll only get in the way and hinder everyone else." stated Naru, bringing us all back to the topic I had hoped Hana had been able to destroy. For some unknown reason my anger faired up again and the memories of why I had run away had flashed through my mind.

"I knew it. You all really do hate me! You just put up with me at SPR because I was slightly useful!" I exploded, trying to keep the volume down as to not disturb Hana from her makeup time with Izo. '_In fact, I bet those two are having makeup sex right about now. The way that Izo looked at her a few times would defiantly make me think that he jumped her once the door separating us from them had closed.'_

"Mai you know that's not true!" Monk said, trying to reach out for me, only for me to slap his hand away.

"Isn't it? You gave up on calling me after a week Naru left, and you never even bothered to come over to see if I was okay!"

"We thought you wanted to be alone." Ayako defended, taking a step towards me, causing me to take one step back. There was no way that I would let a single one of them even touch me for the pain that they caused me. How they made me feel so alone and abandoned. How they made me feel once my mother died and I had no one to turn to.

"Why in hell would I want that? I just had everything that was worth living for taken out from under me, and you think that I'd want my close friends, no, my _family_ to stay away? I'm sorry, but if you thought that then you all are the real idiots. Not me."

"Are you saying that we weren't affected by this either?" Madoka asked, shock covering her face as if she couldn't believe what had just come out of my mouth.

"No, I'm saying that it didn't affect you so much that you tried to be exactly like that one woman that we helped in the park!"

"Mai, you tried to kill yourself." John asked with horror lacing every word. I could see in his eyes that he understood why I left and what happened from the apology and tears that were in his eyes. _'Well that would explain why he wasn't talking that much where as this would be his forte.'_ I thought, deciding that if he came up to me to speak that I would act as if nothing had happened and try to reach out for him.

"Nearly succeeded too, if it weren't for Hanayo then I would be dead right now."

Like my one teacher, Hanayo saved me. Not my friends or grandparents. Just like before I was all alone thanks to those close to me. Because of people like that I have learned to be on my own. The only person that I could trust was Hanayo, and that's only because if it weren't for her then I wouldn't be here right now and I would just be some angry ghost haunting the side of the road. She saved me, kept me close to her, and taught me all of the things that I needed to know to make a good life for myself. One that wouldn't be affected if she died or went away for a while. One where I could be in charge of and not have to depend on anyone for anything, and for that I am truly grateful for.

"Mai sweetie, look, we're sorry. You're right we were being idiots and we're sorry about that, but please let us make it up to you." Yasu begged with tears already cascading down his face. My natural instinct was to drop everything and give Yasu a hug and try to calm him down, but due to the circumstances I forced it down and focused everything on wining the fight that I knew the moment they walked in the door was coming.

"Why should I, so that when I'm no longer of use or entertainment you can just throw me away again?" I asked harshly, causing him to flinch. Guilt instantly filled the pit of my stomach and made me decide that the same exception that I made for John would also be made for Yasu. The others however will have to earn it back in some way or another.

"No, because we care about you." Ayako said, trying one more time to try and make a connection to me.

"Obviously not too much." I snapped, glaring at everyone so that they don't come any closer towards me.

"Mai." Gene said, poking me in the arm trying to get my attention.

"I don't want to hear it." I said, knowing that he would be trying to convince me to give them another chance.

"Mai." He said, trying to gain my attention once again, which I just gave in to since I knew that he wouldn't stop until I heard him out.

"What Gene?"

"I'm on your side."

"That's not gonna-wait, what now?" I asked, finally comprehending what it was he just said.

"I said I'm on your side. The way that they handled it was thoughtless and cold hearted. I would have expected that from Noll and maybe Lin, but not the rest of the people that you always raved on about when we talked." He stated, making everyone's jaw drop. Even Lin's!

"But Gene-" Naru said, trying to reason with his twin only for Gene to raise his hand and cut him off.

"No buts, the way that you treated Mai just seconds ago make it perfectly clear who you really are. Also just to let you know since I am a perfect medium and all, Mai did look into the ring's past _NOT_ its present." Gene said, throwing everyone who thought that I lied a glare and then smiled towards me.

"Thanks Gene." I said, smiling back at him, glad that he would stick up for me even against his own brother.

"No prob Sis."

"Now if you don't mind I will be taking a blow-up mattress from the attic and will be sleeping in the creation room, so you all have until I come back with my things to clear out. If you're still here by then, then I'll literally kick you out." I threatened, glaring at every single person except John and Yasu, who I have already forgiven.

"Would you like some help?" he asked, throwing an arm around my shoulder.

"Yes, thank you Gene."

"No problem, in fact, I think I'll join you." He said, fallowing me out to my room to help bring out the things that we're going to need for our night in the creation room.

I looked back at SPR and saw them all dishearted at the conversation that had just transpired. What shocked me the most was the fact that Naru looked even more upset then the time that I had seen him be wrong yet right on my first case with him. _'I have the right to still be upset with them, right?'_ I asked myself, unsure if I was right to have snapped at them the way I did. Taking one last look at SPR I caught the glimpse of Masako smirking in my direction before Gene and I left the room. Something suddenly made me question just what really happened back when Naru left and why I had the sudden strong urge to slap that girl right across the face.

**Me: Ugh, this is not where I thought it was going to go.**

**Mai: What do you mean?**

**Me: Well I wanted it to end with Mai and Gene leaving SPR speechless, bu instead it made it so that the story will have yet another drama plot within the actual plot.**

**Mai: Huh?**

**Naru: It means there will be another story mixed in with this one.**

**Mai: Oh.**

**Gene: It's okay Mai, I didn't get it until Noll explained it either.**

**Naru: Idiots.**

**Me: Anyway, please Review and tell me if you think you know what the second story is about. If you get it right then the chapter that holds the second story will be dedicated to you! XD**


	13. Apologies & Forgiveness

**Me: Hi pepz!**

**Mai: Yay you updated sooner!**

**Naru: Congratulations.**

**Me: Thanks! *Hugs Naru***

**Naru: Get off of me.**

**Me: Fine.**

**Gene: Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt and please R&R.**

**Mai's POV:**

Gene and I had just begun telling ghost stories with a flashlight for effect since finished creating our fort made out of 2 large blankest and like twenty pillows strategically placed within the creation room, when a knock on the door was heard. Not knowing who it would be at this hour, I opened the door to surprisingly find John in blue shorts and a white T-shirt.

"Mai, can I talk to you?" John asked, looking at me with sorry eyes.

"Sure John, I don't really mind if it's you." I said, opening the door wider for him to come in. He walked in, and stood still once he saw the fort and stared at it with wide eyes.

"John?" I asked, touching his shoulder to bring him back out of his shock. He avoided his eyes from the fort and focused his attention completely on me.

"Um, I was just wondering if you really did have a vision." He squeaked, not wanting to upset me, but also not wanting to beat around the bush. He was tense and looked ready for me to yell at him and kick him out of the room. _'Man, I really must have scared him during the whole ordeal for him to be this scared.'_

"I did, and it is not something that I would want to relive again." I said calmly, making sure not to let any anger work its way into my voice.

"I see, sorry for doubting you."

"It's fine. At least you didn't jump down Mom or my throats like the others did." I said, smiling softly at him and reaching for his shoulder.

"Hey!"Gene shouted, reminding us all that he was there.

"You too Gene."

"Thank you very much."He said, falling back onto some pillows making both John and I giggle. During the fit John and I fell back onto the mountain of pillows as Gene did and looked up at the starry sky through the sky light.

"Do you hate us?" John asked, once the giggle fit subsided

"No John, I don't. In fact I really want things to be back to the way they were, but I just can't do it." I said, rolling over so that I was on my elbows and looking at him.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." I said, smiling at him once again, trying to reassure him that I had no blame or anger towards him.

"But it is. Yasu and I knew something was wrong, but we just didn't know what. I'm sorry. I let you down." John apologized, nearly breaking down into tears. This time, not suppressing my urge to console him, I hugged him the way that Hanayo did every time I remembered SPR and broke down.

"John, thank you for not blaming me or accusing Mom. This and the fact that you just apologized to me, by yourself, shows just how much you mean it. Thank you. You have no clue how much it means to me. Also, if you see Yasu before I do, please tell him I'm sorry for snapping at him. I know he didn't mean any harm, and I just shot him down and made him cry." I said, now feeling the guilt of the words that I said to both of them even more then when I said them in the argument.

"It's fine, I think he knows that already." John said, smiling at me the way the he used to when we both worked for SPR.

"Thanks John."

"Group hug!" Gene shouted, jumping onto us and throwing us into yet another giggle fit.

"Well it's getting late, and I wouldn't want Davis-san to be upset that I didn't get enough sleep." John said, once he caught his breath once again.

"Yeah, it's best if we all got to bed before the work-a-holic gets even more pissy." Gene said, pouting at the fact that he's related to such a sour-puss.

"Night John." I said, walking him to the door.

"Night Mai, Gene-san." John responded, quickly disappearing out of the shop and up the stairs to Gene's room where the boys were staying. I walked back over to where Gene was laying and jumped into my spot besides him. We were both quiet for a while until Gene shot up into a sitting position.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Gene cursed, throwing one of his fists into a pillow near him.

"What?" I asked, putting my weight onto my elbows as I looked at him confused as to what happened.

"I forgot to punch Noll in the face!" He pouted, making me burst out laughing at the stupid reason he got upset.

"Don't worry, you'll have _plenty_ more chances to go at him." A familiar voice said out of nowhere. Startled by the new entity in the room, I jumped up and suppressed a squeak while Gene just clutched onto me. I scanned the room looking for the unknown entity, and to the side of the doorway was the shadow of a man. I looked a little bit closer and saw the flash of the moonlight on what I could only guess was glasses. I sighed a breath of relief and shoved Gene off of me.

"Holy shit Yasu! Don't do that." I scolded, glaring at him as he made his way over to us and sat down.

"Yeah, haven't you ever heard of knocking before?" Gene asked, clutching his chest as he glared at Yasu.

"Yeah, but I don't see the point, unless you two were going at it that is." Yasu said, smiling deviously at us.

"Ew! Yasu!" I shouted, shoving him away from me and onto Gene's lap. Yasu looked up at Gene and then to me and back to Gene again and finally to me with a raised eyebrow.

"What? Are you telling me that you don't want a piece of this fine man here?"

"No, not really, after all, he is like a big bro to me." I said honestly. I mean sure he's nicer to me and actually shows his emotions, but the idiot scientist is the one that I fell in love with. Bad traits, tea addictions, and all.

"Are you sure? Cause I think that he could defiantly bring it." He said, looking playfully at me.

"That I can, that I can." Gene added, making me look at those two in utter disbelief. Taking a calming breath, I looked at the two of them and smirked.

"Okay, one, TMI, two, I'm sure, three, I'm not Naru, and four, Yasu what are you doing here?" I asked, taking the conversation off of me, and onto Yasu.

"Well, I wanted to apologize for being a dick head and hurting you." Yasu said plainly, getting out of Gene's lap and onto the pillows that surrounded us. _'Maybe I shouldn't have let Gene convince me to get all of these pillows.'_

"It's okay, I know you didn't mean it. Sorry I made you cry."I apologized, smiling at him as I flopped back down onto the ground.

"It's okay, I know we had it coming, also, what do you mean you're not Naru?" He asked, eyeing both me and Gene with his glasses glaring in the moon light.

"Whoops." I said, throwing an apologetic look Gene's way, which he responded with an eye roll.

"Yeah, whoops."

"Spill." Yasu demanded, quite like the way I did when I found out that Gene and Naru had a little twincest going on.

"Well, you see-"

"My little brother and I used to go at it when we were younger. Before you ask, no he's not bent, and is now as straight as an arrow, and yes I am Bi." Gene explained, cutting me off so that Yasu wouldn't know anything more then he needed to.

"No. Way."Yasu said, looking at me in shock and disbelief.

"Way."

"Mai, can you say Black Mail?" Yasu asked, going into his more devious mode as he smiled slyly directly at me.

"Oh I have and I've been thinking about using it for quite some time." I admitted, smiling slyly right back at him.

"You two know that you would be dead if you told anyone." Gene said, interrupting the devilish moment that Yasu and I were sharing about how I was going to get back at Naru.

"Not as dead as you'd be for telling us." I countered, thankful for that little fact.

"True, but I can handle my own brother."He stated, which I knew was true meaning that I wouldn't feel any guilt if I did tell SPR just to smite Naru's ego.

"And I'm just too cute to kill." Yasu stated, batting his eyelashes at us making me laugh at his gay-like nature.

"That is very true." Gene stated, making me stop laughing and focus solely on the two males in the room.

"Exactly, wait, did you just call me cute?" Yasu asked, just getting what Gene had said about him.

"And if I did?" Gene asked, trying to look strong to Yasu, but I could see the "oh shit" look in his eyes at his little slip up.

"Well then I would say that you are very handsome, even more so then your narcissistic brother." Yasu said, looking directly into Gene's eyes. The tense atmosphere that was filling the room quickly evaporated, and a warm fuzzy one took it's place. Deciding to get some payback for the times that Yasu used me to make jokes with Monk and the times he interrupted my dreams, not related to the case mind you, of dates with the real Naru and not Gene, and Gene for making me think he was Naru, I wrapped my arms around both of their necks, startling them both back to reality.

"Do I smell some Yaoi blossoming?" I asked teasingly, making Gene's face turn scarlet, and Yasu shove himself away from us.

"No!" Yasu shouted, waving his hands franticly as he spazed out about my little joke.

"Chill dude, I was just joking. After all you may act gay, but you're straight right?" I asked, making sure that I had all my facts straight and didn't put anyone in any awkward positions.

"Yeah, totally straight." He laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. Deciding to just disregard the whole thing I checked the clock and saw that it was half past midnight.

"Wanna stay down here with us tonight?" I asked, deciding that it would just me less of a hassle if he just stayed here and didn't risk waking up the rest of the house.

"Why not. It's not like I'm that important. To be honest I'm surprised that Naru wanted me to work for him again." Yasu shrugged, and lied on his back chilling with us as if nothing had ever changed at all between us. I smiled at him and followed his example by lying down too, quickly followed by Gene.

"I'm not, you're a hard worker and an amazing researcher. It would be a no brainer for anyone who knew you." I said, deciding that he needed an ego bust after the embarrassment that I just put him through.

"I guess you're right! But he also wanted you back too." He said, startling me with the words spewing out of his mouth.

"What?" I asked, not sure if I heard right since there was no way that the superficial, egotistical, tea addicted, work-a-holic, person that is Naru would need me.

"Yeah, he asked for what happened to you and why you weren't there to pick him up with the rest of us."

"He missed me?" I asked, more to myself then Yasu. I mean the only thing that I'm good at for SPR is my dreams and making tea (and coffee for Monk). Also let's not forget that he thought I loved Gene instead of him.

"Girl, I would be _beyond_ surprised if he didn't. I mean you are one smoke'n chick, even more so then when we first met. I mean, just look at your _boobs_! I swear those things had gone from a double A to a C! Also look at that _ass_! I swear that you will not find that type of fine meat on any of the other girls in all of Japan." Yasu said, going into what reminded me of Gene's valley girl mode. _'Gods those two are so freaking alike. If I didn't know better I would have thought that Gene and Yasu were twins, not Naru and Gene.'_

"YASU!"

"What? A guy can't look?" Gene asked in all seriousness. His eyebrow was raised and question was fully evident on his face. I sighed and shock my head at how unhelpful Gene was being.

"Gene you're not helping." I said, already feeling a headache coming on. _'Is this how Naru felt when he was with Gene?' _ I questioned, thinking that I could finally understand why Naru gets so annoyed when I ask him what he would call 'stupid questions'.

"Yeah he is, helping me." Yasu explained, slinging his arm around Gene's neck and pulling Gene closer to him.

"Ugh, I knew you two would be best of friends, I just didn't think that you two would turn against me."

"Don't worry honey, we aren't against you."Yasu said, releasing Gene, and moving to lay right beside me.

"Quite the contrary, we full hearted support you." Gene added, crawling to the other side of me.

"Which is why you two are making fun of me?" I asked, semi-understanding their logic, yet hoping that what I thought it would be wasn't the case.

"Exactly!" They said in unison, causing me to sweat drop at their logic. _'Looks like I'll be teased for the rest of my life.'_

"I'm not sure if you two are hyper, or idiots." I sighed, just deciding to give in and let them have their fun. After all, I can always get back at them later.

"I've been told that more than once." Gene stated, brushing off what I said as if he heard it every day. However, I can understand that since he probably has since Naru is his younger brother.

"Same here!"Yasu exclaimed, causing me to snap my head over at him.

Out of all the people that I met Yasu would be the last person that I would think of as an idiot. That is unless you really know him and have seen him goof off like I have. I can still remember the time that Yasu went running around the office in a pink dress shouting the My Little Pony theme song at the top of his lungs. He was lucky that Naru was out for lunch or else he would have been dead.

"By who?"Gene asked, beating me to the question that was on the tip of my tongue. Upset that I couldn't be the one to ask, I crossed my arms and pouted like the child I truly was at heart.

"Your brother."Yasu said, knowing that, that would be all that it would take for us to know, or guess what had happened.

"He thinks anyone that has an IQ a point lower than his is an idiot." Gene scoffed, rolling his eyes at his brother's high and mighty act.

"Sounds like him."Yasu agreed, nodding his head in agreement and understanding.

"Yep." I added, now starting to feel left out of the conversation that had been going on between my two of best guy friends.

"So how is life as a Bi?" Yasu asked, deciding to shift the topic onto a new one yet to be discussed.

"Very open."Gene answered, not really caring about what it was we would ask him relating to his sexual orientation.

"Ah, so have you seen anyone who meets your fancy?" I asked slyly, wondering if I could set him up with someone for fun and see how it worked out. Since I've been studying Hanayo's matchmaking ability I hope that I had learned some of the things to look for when setting people up on dates.

"Well if you weren't like a sister to me I would be trying to win you over. Naru is my brother so enough said. John is cute, but is also a priest. Monk is too loud, but I could have a lot of fun teasing him. Ayako is too old or me. Madoka was my teacher and is with Lin. Masako, well, I don't like her. In all honesty I would slap the bitch if I had boobs instead of a penis." Gene explained, making me happy that he hated Masako too and blush at the fact that I was one of the people that had caught his eyes. _'Wait! I didn't hear Yasu mentioned in that list.'_

"Same." Yasu agreed with a look of shear disgust on his face.

"Meh, I want to slap her too, but since Naru would reprehend me I can't. Plus I don't want to upset Hanayo since today was absolutely horrible for her." I stated, letting a slight explanation as to why I have yet to do so enter the conversation.

"Yeah, the poor girl was pretty much accused of murder." Yasu agreed, sending me an apologetic look to what he was semi-a part of.

"Stupid Naru and Izo."Gene mumbled, pouting at his brother and Izo's stupidness.

"Well from what Hana had told me about Izo, he's just been around Naru too long and has picked up some of his bad traits." I defended, knowing that Izo was in fact easily influenced by other people if he spends enough time with someone.

"Makes sense." Gene said, just going along with what I said since he doesn't really know what Izo is really like. Then again I don't really know him either, but I do know a bit about him from the stories. Like how he saved a kitten from a tree with a dog barking at it.

"Anyway, what I want to know is what you think of Yasu." I stated, bringing this lost conversation back on track.

"Huh?" Yasu asked, looking at me with a cute confused look.

"Well you listed everyone off on who you don't have an interest for, but Yasu wasn't in that listing." I explained, slyly smiling at him as the look of horror and then slight anger at being found out.

"Oh yeah, your right. Good going Mai." Yasu complimented, giving me the thumbs up at the fact that I had finally become more observant and devious.

"Well, let's put it this way, if Yasu wasn't straight, then he would be the best candidate."

"Awe, thanks." Yasu said, jumping over me and landing on Gene as he gives said person a hug.

"Ya know most guys would freak out if they heard that." I said, pushing Yasu's legs off of my boobs since they were starting to hurt from being constricted. After all, just as Yasu said, my boobs did grow over my time away from SPR.

"Yeah, well I'm not most guys." He replied, moving so that he was in between Gene and myself.

"True. You did act gay for a majority of the time that I knew you." I said, regaining Gene's attention as to who

"Really?" Gene asked, surprised as to how Yasu normally acts around people.

"Yep." Yasu stated, extremely proud for that fact. I looked around noticing that Gene and Yasu seemed to be in their own little world and spotted a small mountain of pillows. Suddenly a thought came to mind. It was an evil thought, but still seemed to hold some promise. I smirked at what I was about to do, and started heading over towards the small mountain.

"Hey boys." I said sweetly, slowly reaching behind me and grabbing two pillows.

"What?" Gene asked, being the first one to break out of the trance like state that he and Yasu were in.

"Pillow fight!" I shouted, throwing two pillows right at their faces, and having them hit their marks. I grabbed two more knowing that they would accept and that I had just started a full out war. The air around the two boys had changed, and instead of the happy-go-lucky feel there was a darker and tenser one being emitted from them. They took the pillows that landed on their faces and took them off revealing the most determined look I had ever seen on either of their faces.

"You are ON!"

**Me: Ah pillow fights.**

**Mai: They're so much fun.**

**Gene:Yep, especially when it's boys v.s. girls.**

**Naru: Never had one, and don't want to.**

**Me: O.o …. **

**Mai: Silver? Hellooo, anyone home?**

**Gene: I know what will fix this.**

**Mai: What?**

**Gene: Pillow fight! XD *Throws pillow at Naru***

**Naru: I said I don't want to play.**

**Mai: Why? Are you chicken?**

**Naru: *Vein pops out* Boys v.s. Girls. *Throws pillow at Mai and ends up hitting Silver in the face***

**Gene: Hell yeah!**

**Mai: Silver! Are you okay?**

**Me: *Pillow slides off of face* Oh, it. Is. ON! *Grabs 2 pillows and charges at the twins***

**Mai: O.o … Okay then, please review as we kick the boys' asses.**


	14. Visions and Promises

**Me: Sup pepz. I would like to dedicate this chapter to a writer who used one of my one-shot ideas and put it in her own story bending it to her own will. It was a very good story, so I would be very happy if all of you would read ****"Naru's Tea Test" by SolemnPassive.**

**Naru: It actually was quite good.**

**Mai: Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt**

**Gene: Please R&R!**

**Mai's POV:**

I awoke to the sun shining on my face and the usual wood pecker pecking away on a nearby tree. I sat up and lifted my arms to stretch as I surveyed the damage of last night. Pretty much everything was toppled over, but the only things actually damaged were five torn pillows that now had their fluffy feathers all over the place. I suppressed a giggle, not wanting to wake up the other two occupants of the room.

Somehow in the middle of the night Yasu and Gene ended up moving next to each other, and Yasu was now using Gene's chest as a pillow as Gene had his hands wrapped around Yasu's waist in a very protective manner. Originally, the three of us ended up passing out in the middle of our pillow fight with each of us in our own separate corners. Gene was underneath the desk, Yasu hit behind a toppled over chair, and I dove under the pillows themselves.

Struggling now to keep the laughter sealed up within me, I slowly got up and crept out of the room. The cold floor was a very nice contrast to my warm feet as I padded across it into the kitchen where I would prepare breakfast. From the sounds of things, I could tell that I was the only one up and awake at the moment, making my job all the much easier. Deciding to just make crêpes for everyone, I brought out all of the ingredients for creating the batter, as well as the supplies for the different fillings so that they can build their own once they wake up.

Whisking the ingredients together, I fired up the stove and began to pour the batter into the heating frying pan. The process of making the crêpe didn't take too long, and also quite easy to do for that matter of fact. I ended up finishing up my sixty fourth one when I ran out of batter. I put all or the thin pancakes and neatly stacked them on top of one another. _'Onto the filling!'_ I thought, going over to the fridge, making sure that I wouldn't be making more of something that we already have. Looking around, I saw that we had peach, cherry, strawberry, blackberry, and rhubarb jam already made and ready for the pancakes. _'Looks like Hana had another feeling and made new batches of everything when I went on errands.'_ I realized, now understanding why she had me running all around town nonstop three days ago.

Sensing that still no one was up, I made myself a crêpe, and then headed outside for some morning meditation. The morning air was cool, and made goose bumps rise along whatever skin it caressed. The smell of roses were strong in the air intoxicating my mind with its soft scent. I got out to the middle of the yard in a small area where the sun had already reached, and sat down.

The grass was slightly damp on my skin, but had mostly dried off do to the morning rays. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and let all of the tension erode away from me. Clearing my mind was always the hardest thing for me to do, so I just normally end up settling for focusing on one thing. Otherwise I would probably end up falling asleep.

Slowly everything began to melt away to black nothingness, leaving me all alone with just an image of Naru sitting in a chair in my mind. I knew that it wasn't Gene since he wasn't wearing a smile. In fact, he wasn't even wearing his usual smirk. If you asked me, he looked super depressed over something. Soon I realized that this was one of my visions since I actually saw him moving and that my body also just so happened to be here. Deciding to just go along with it like I usually did, I went a bit closer towards him as I tried to get a better look at what was happening, and saw that he was holding a pocket watch.

Coming up right behind him, I looked over his shoulder and was shocked at what I saw. In the pocket watch was a picture of SPR. It was the picture that I demanded that we take after our last case together. It seemed like just yesterday when we took this.

Naru had just gotten out of the hospital, and I decided to throw a small party to celebrate in the office. I had gotten Lin's permission to do so, and had then gotten everyone to help with it. The look on Naru's face was priceless when we all jumped out of our hiding places and threw streamers around him. Though he protested against the party, we decided to just ignore it and have fun. Eventually he went along with it, and we decided to take a group photo to commemorate it.

In the middle was Naru, much to his dismay, with a look that clearly stated that he didn't want to be doing this. On his left was Masako clinging to him and on his right was me with my arm around his. Next to Masako was John who was sweat dropping and looking over at the other side which had a bunch of commotion going on. Next to him was Madoka who was hugging Lin and making sure that he would stay in place to take the picture. Next to me, was Yasu, who also had his arm around mine and Monk's. Monk was trying desperately to get out of Yasu's clutches and even went as far as clinging onto Ayako. Ayako's whole face was red and she looked as if she were trying to escape while telling him off, but wasn't really trying too hard.

Just looking at them all together made me laugh. It actually really captured just how SPR really is. We're like one big family. _'No, we were.'_ I reminded myself, realizing that I was once again getting sucked into the past. I know that I would be able to go back to the old days with everyone. Pretend that none of this had ever happened, and just joke and laugh with them at the office again. However, who's to say that this won't happen again? I need to know that they truly want me to be there. That I'm not just cheep entertainment to them, that I'm needed, wanted, and vital to the team.

I know for a fact that both John and Yasu see me that way. They even came up to me separately and apologized knowing full well that I may just chew them out. That alone gave them automatic forgiveness. In all honesty, I would probably forgive everyone if they just apologized calmly and didn't play the blame game. I'd even forgive Naru, even though he hurt me the most, it would be a major ego plummet to apologize, but that's why I would forgive him.

"Why?" Naru asked himself, drawing me from my thoughts and back to what was actually going on. "Why did you leave? Were things so bad that you had to get away? Did the depression of realizing that you loved Gene and not me hurt you too much?" He rambled, making me question who exactly he was talking about until the last question. _'So he's talking about me?'_ I pondered, now paying extra special attention to what he did and said in this vision.

"Mai, what can I do to bring you back to SPR? Everyone is gloomy, and it's just not the same without you. Everyone misses your smile, your laugh, your ability to light up a room by just walking into it, and don't forget your tea." He said softly, chuckling at the words he said, making me also smile and giggle. _'Just like him to miss my tea.'_ I thought, fondly remembering how every single Gods damned day he would call for tea and then never say thank you or please. "Mai, I will bring you back to SPR. I promise that to you, so please, just give us a little more time to show you just what you mean to us."

With that said, he closed the pocket watch and then put it away. My vision once again turned black and the sound of the wind in the trees and in my hair filled my senses. I opened up my eyes and saw that I was back exactly where I started meditation with the only difference being that the sun was higher in the sky. Deciding that it was probably best to go back inside and see if anyone was awake yet, I stood up and made my way back to the house. All along the way Naru's words echoed in my head along with my own questions.

'_So he still thinks that I like his brother instead of him, looks like I'll have to prove him wrong.'_ I thought, deciding that I would still pursue him even though I was still mad at him. What can I say? I'm in love. Before I made it through the thresh hold of the house, I looked back up at the sky and made my own promise like Naru did in my vision. _'I will wait for you Naru, I promise you that, so please. Come and get me.'_

**Me: Wow… I think I really made Naru OOC. O.o**

**Gene: No, that's just how he is when no one is around. Just like Madoka said, he's actually a very deep person and truly cares for his friends. Even if he doesn't show it.**

**Mai: Yep! ^.^ **

**Naru: Whatever. *Rolls eyes & goes back to reading book***

**Me: Anyway people, please REVIEW! XD **


	15. SPR's Back Together Again!

**Me: This chapter is dedicated to my beloved twin sis Goldy (Golden Moon Crescent) whose birthday party I unfortunately missed due to nearly passing out when I was mowing the lawn. Stupid concussions.**

**Mai: I hear ya.**

**Gene: Why were you mowing the lawn in your condition?**

**Me: 'Cause I thought that I would be fine to do it and then go to her party.**

**Naru: Yet again, you were proven wrong.**

**Me: Shut up. *Pouts***

**Mai: Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Gene&Naru: R&R!**

**Mai's POV:**

It was now nine o'clock a.m. and everyone from SPR was now down in the dining room making themselves the crêpes I prepared for them. They were all conversing among themselves and didn't seem to notice me walk in. At least that's what I thought, until Yasu snuck up behind me and tackled me to the ground. It caught me so off guard that I couldn't even stop myself from face planting on the floor.

"Good morning Mai!" Yasu exclaimed from his spot on top of my back.

"Hey Yasu, do me a favor and get off please, I can't feel my spine." I said, face down on the floor, knowing that I heard a few cracks along my spinal cord. _'Oh I hope that, that wasn't a bad sign.'_ I prayed, since getting injured right before a case would not work in my favor at all.

"Whoops, sorry Mai." Yasu said, getting off of me in less than a second. I slowly brought myself to sitting on my knees as I stretched back and heard my back crack. I flinched more at the sound then the shift of bone since I was used to so much more than just a messed up back. _'Damn I'm getting old.'_

"Mai are you alright?" John asked, giving me his hand to help me back up. I smiled softly at him to show that I appreciated the gesture.

"Yeah, thanks John. I'm glad _someone_ helped me up." I said, glaring daggers at the other two boys that were laughing their asses off at my dismay.

"Sorry Mai, but the look on your face was priceless." Gene apologized, looking me square in the eyes as he wiped a tear away only to fall back into his laughing hysteria.

"I would've, but you'd probably had killed me, that or broken my arm." Yasu said, gaining much more control over himself then his partner in crime was. Everyone else was looking at us four with confused smiles as they tried to register what it was that just happened exactly. Even Naru seemed to be taken aback by the child like behavior he saw us take part in.

"Well isn't this nice. I'm glad to see you all getting along after what happened yesterday." Hana said, walking in through the doorway in her fluffy, pink robe with Izo right beside her. Judging by how close those two were, one would assume that they had a very good night of _'Making Up'_.

"Yeah, since when did you four get all buddy-buddy?" Monk asked, looking at us four intently. John, Yasu, Gene, and I shared a look and smiled.

"It's a secret." I said, placing my right index finger against my lips as a smirk found its way upon them. Then the four of us broke out laughing when we saw the look of shear confusion on their faces. That is, we were laughing until Naru closed one of his books rather loudly, capturing everyone's attention.

"Everyone, we're leaving for the sight in fifteen minutes. I expect all of you to be ready for set up and investigating. Hanayo, Mai, you two will be staying here. I believe that it is best for someone carrying children to stay away from danger, and it's best for the most accident prone to stay where they won't get hurt." Naru explained, looking directly at me during the whole 'You Can't Go' comment. _'Oh hell no! He cannot and will not leave me here while they go off!' _Before I could totally tell him off, Hanayo broke out laughing, causing everyone to eye her questionably.

"Don't worry, I'll be here the whole time, unless you forget the lunch I packed for you. Then I would have to go and drop it off." Hana reassured, smiling softly at everyone to let them know that she will be the least of their worries.

"Hana, I don't even want you there for that brief amount of time!" exclaimed Izo, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. He had a child like expression on his face that was a mix of anger and a pout, though I really couldn't blame him. After all, this was a haunting that just killed a girl last night. Who knows what might happen if Hana is she came even for three minutes to drop something off.

"Then you better not forget your lunch." Hana said, wagging her finger at her husband. A sly smirk placed on her face as she detangled herself from him. He reached out to catch her once again, but fail in doing so since she made her way over to Madoka since she was signaling her over.

"Mai, do you understand?" Naru questioned, bringing me back to the real problem at hand. Crossing my arms and glaring directly at him, I decided to stand my ground. He may be the head of SPR, and I may no longer be a part of SPR, but Gods damn it if he expects me to sit around here waiting for them to come back every day while they go out and put themselves in danger. All I have to say to that is three words: _Not, __**Gonna, **__**Happen. **_

"So Gene, the boy who just got out of the hospital from a coma, and Yasu and Madoka who both don't have any physic abilities what-so-ever can go, but the girl who has been training and improving her abilities to become a perfect medium can't? Nuh-uh, Not. Gonna. Happen." I stated, making sure that he knew that I wouldn't be swayed from my decision even if he tied me up and locked me in a room.

"Mai, I won't lie, your powers are very promising, and despite what you can do and how much your abilities have grown, I can't allow you to enter something where you will probably be singled out and attacked. Also you have a natural ability to draw ghosts and danger to you." Naru explained with a sigh.

He looked as if he really didn't want to fight with me, but he will have to if he wants me to stay behind. I was just about to tell him off again when I saw a flash come from his pocket. I stole a glance at what it was and saw that it was the same pocket watch that I had seen earlier. My mind instantly flashed to the promise that he made to himself about bringing me back to SPR. Calming down a little bit, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Once I had regained my composure and made it seem as if I was reconsidering my thoughts, I snapped my eyes open and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Do you really not want me to come back to SPR?" I asked, deciding to trust what I had see if my vision from this morning.

"Of course we want you back. You're a valuable asset to the team." He said, taken aback to what I had asked him. I felt my stomach do flips as I heard him say that I was a valuable asset to SPR.

"Then stop having me on the side lines and let me help already!" I exclaimed, readying myself for a very long debate between the two of us. The silence was heave in the dead air, and no one dared to break it. Even Hana, Madoka, Gene, and Yasu who had been gossiping the whole time feel silent as to hear the rest of the argument. After what felt like forever, Naru gave another sigh and ran a head through his midnight hair.

"Okay."

"Naru I- Wait did he just say okay?" I asked, looking around at everyone to make sure that I had heard right.

"If you want to get hurt be my guest. Just don't come crying to me when you get yourself hurt again." He said, turning away and walking out of the kitchen to go who-knows-where.

"Don't worry, I won't." I promised, deciding to forgive him just a little bit for what he did to me. He may still have a long way to go to regain my trust and friendship, but I suppose that I can be friendly to him. After all, he does have my heart.

"YAY! SPR'S BACK TOGETHER AGAIN!" Monk shouted, throwing his arms up in victory of me going.

Everyone soon fallowed his example and cheered for my win in the argument. _'SPR really is back together again now isn't it'_ I pondered, realizing just how much I missed this crazy, happy, funny atmosphere. I gave them all a smile and joined in with the rejoicing. I looked around and saw everyone happy for me to be coming along. That is until I got to Masako. When I glanced at her, I saw that she had a flown set on her face. We met eyes and she instantly sent me a glare before walking out the same doorway that Naru had gone through. _'Something's up with her.'_ I thought, feeling the happiness wash away from me as anxiety and determination took its place. _'And I'm gonna find out what.'_

**Me: Bleh, another fight.**

**Mai: There seems to be a lot of those in this story.**

**Me: Meh, just wait. There will be about 3 more at least.**

**Naru: I can understand that. **

**Gene: Yeah, cause you're so hard to get along with.**

**Me: Anyway, please review. It makes me very happy to hear what people think about my writing.**


	16. Dedication to a Dear Friend

**Me: Everyone, this chapter is dedicated to my best friend Alyssa whose father just passed away recently. He committed suicide on the morning of August 8, 2012. He was a good man who had gone through hell and back. Please, if any of you fellow readers have any thoughts linked to that please talk to someone about it. If you need to just talk to someone you can call 1-800-784-2433 and don't hesitate to talk to me if you don't want to call or talk to anyone else. I've been there and know how it feels to be alone and think that it's you're only option, but it's not. Please realize that you are never alone and before you have any more of those types of thoughts then to please first think about everyone who cares about you and what will happen to them if you do die. You're never alone, so please, remember that.**

**Naru: Death may soothe a soul's pain, but if everyone truly understood what death means, on one would ever commit suicide.**

**Mai: Didn't you say that during Yasu's case?**

**Gene: Yes, yes he did.**


	17. Big Brother & Little Sister

**Me: Hey everyone. Because of certain events I'm not gonna do a skit this time around. If you haven't read the last chapter, then please do. I don't own Ghost Hunt and R&R.**

**Mai's POV:**

"Well this is it." Monk says, looking distastefully at the house.

"Well it defiantly does scram haunted, don't ya think?" I asked, looking from the house to the two boys on either side of me. The house was three stories high and had an old Victorian feel to it. The architect must have been from England from the way that the porch was made. It was colored in murky hues of black and blue making it seem like it would have been a remarkably gorgeous house had it not been nearly falling apart at the panels.

"Defiantly, Gene I'm scared, hold me!" Yasu exclaimed, turning to Gene and glomping onto him. Gene stumbled back a bit; surprised by his outburst, but soon a playful look came into his eyes.

"Hush little one don't worry. I will protect you!" Gene dramatized, wrapping his arms around Yasu's body. One hand was on the small of Yasu's back while the other was behind his head with his fingers through his hair. They smushed closer together and made it a _very_ yaoi fan-girl friendly area.

"Oh Gene." Yasu said teary eyed, looking up dreamily at Gene.

"Oh Yasu."Gene responded, looking deeply into Yasu's eyes. A look of shear of possessiveness in his eyes accompanied by the seriousness carved onto his face.

"Oh brother." I sighed, watching this all unfold from a safe distance. I swear that I can even see flowers in the background behind those two.

"And you're not related to him." stated Naru, startling me as he once again popped out of nowhere. He had a look in his eyes that clearly stated that he wished from the bottom of his heart that they weren't related. However, you could also see that there was a happy glint in them as well.

"Well, at least they're getting along." I said, shrugging my shoulders at the situation all together. In all honesty, I think that they would make a cute couple. _'If Yasu ever gets over his denial that is.'_ I thought, laughing silently to myself.

"Whatever, just finish unpacking the van, we're going to have to cover a lot of ground before night fall if we want to get an idea of what's really going on." He snapped, pulling out a file and looking over it.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I sighed, knowing full well that he was right. After all, all that we really had were just urban legends about this place and that vision. It almost feels exactly like when I was truly apart of SPR. All that we're missing now is for Naru to tell me to make tea in that snobbish tone of his.

"Oh and Mai, tea."He demanded, in the exact tone that I thought of.

"Humph!" I pouted, turning away from him as I attempted to look pissed off. I didn't have to turn around to know that he had left. That's just what he always does. _'Why did I ever fall for him? Why do I even still love him?'_

"Looks like you and Davis-san are getting along again." John said, sneaking up and startling me from my thoughts. He had an innocent look on his face and had a slight smile spread on his lips. He was exactly what a priest should be. Or at least what I thought they should look like.

"I never didn't get along with him. I was just mad at him, and I still am, may I add, but we won't get anything done if we're fighting all the time." I explained, voicing just the fact that I was trying so hard to keep buried. _'I mean it's true that I'm pissed at him, but I also still love him. We also fight a lot, but still. Am I the only one who thinks that there's something there?'_

"Mai, you are one amazing girl." He said, looking down at me with an admiring gaze.

"Thanks John." I said, blushing slightly at the compliment. I looked back at the van and saw that it was nearly completely unpacked, and I hadn't taken one thing out of it. "I better go help finish unpacking. I don't want to light Naru's fuse when it's already been cut so short."

I flashed him one of my old smiles, and then headed back to see what was actually left. There were three microphones, a box of EMF detectors, and a monitor left. Deciding to just get the heavy lifting done and over with, I went to grab the monitor. That is I would have gotten it had another pair of hands shot out and grabbed it before me. I looked up to see who it was that decided to take the burden off my shoulders to see Monk's childlike smile.

"Mai, that's too heavy for you. Let me take that." He said, walking away from the car with it.

"Thanks Monk." I said, flashing him an appreciative smile his way. His own smile widened. Deciding to bring in the next heaviest thing in, I grabbed the box of EMF detectors.

We walked side by side in silence, which would have completely out of the ordinary for Monk and me had we not been separated from each other for so long. Suddenly he stopped walking, thus making me stop as well to see what was wrong. His head was down and he had a death grip on the monitor that I was positive that he might actually break it. '_However that really wouldn't be a problem since Naru has insurance on it.'_

"Hey Mai." He said, finally breaking the silence which enveloped us.

"Yeah?" I asked, never taking my eyes off of him and giving him my full attention. He looked back up at me had had pain and guilt filled eye. It was heart wrenching to see one of the strongest men in my world look so broken. I had never seen that look on Monk's face before, and I never want to see it there again.

"Sorry. My big brother instincts kicked in and I got over protective and when I saw you and everything that happened, I just snapped. I'm sorry." He apologized, bowing down towards me, while still holding onto the monitor. Slightly shocked at his outburst, it took me a while to understand what it was exactly that he said. Finally it clicked and a soft warm smile was painted on my lips. I balanced the box with one hand and then placed the other on his shoulder. He looked up at me with a hopeful look once he saw my face.

"Thanks Monk. It means a lot." I sincerely said, taking my hand off of his shoulder as he straightened up.

"Forgive me?"

"I forgive you. Now come on, we have to get this to Naru before he gets mad at us." I said, gesturing to the equipment in our hands.

"Yeah, race ya?" he asked, bringing back the childish games that we used to do. Oh how I missed this.

"Only if you want to lose." I prompted, allowing a few fighting words to come out of my mouth to make the both of us get into the game. After all, it's no fun if you're the only one pumped up for a race.

"You're on!" he shouted, as we began our mad dash to the base room.

**Me: Sigh.**

**Naru: What's wrong now?**

**Me: I just had my first day of school. I didn't want to believe it, but summer vacation is over.**

**Mai: NOOOOOOO!**

**Gene: Well at least you get to see your friends every day.**

**Me: True, I also get the most inspiration to write in school too.**

**Naru: See Mai, maybe you should go back to school and actually learn something like Silver.**

**Mai: Do you want to wait until 5:00 p.m. every day for your first cup of tea?**

**Naru: Never mind. Review.**


	18. Warnings

**Me: OMG! You guys, get ready to have your mind blown.**

**Naru: What stupid shit is it this time?**

**Me: You know that voice actor who plays France (English)?**

**Gene: Yeah.**

**ME: Well, the same voice actor plays Lin-san.**

**Mai: No. Way. *Looks over at Lin***

**Lin: Is there a problem with that?**

**Everyone: Nope!**

**Mai: Please Review & Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Mai's POV:**

Base had already been set up at Hanayo's house, so all we needed to do now was just place the cameras and microphones where they were needed. Since Izo didn't want Hana to be home by herself, Madoka volunteered to stay back and help with working the equipment at base. Right now Masako, Ayako, and John were all doing a walk through to see if they could pick anything up. Now I would be with them right now had I not been stuck doing set up with Monk, and Yasu. Naru, Lin, and Gene were off doing their own run through of the place just to make sure Masako didn't miss anything.

"So Mai, how does it feel to be back as a part of SPR?" Yasu asked, directing my yet again wavering attention back to the task at hand. We were currently setting up in what we assumed was the master bedroom. Just like the outside of this place, the inside was dusty and made for a great scary legend. That is, if the legend didn't up and kill people that is.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch Yasu. Who said that I was coming back?" I asked, in a serious tone. I looked at him confused to see his happy face drop along side of Monk's.

"But didn't you say-"

"I said that if he wanted me back on the team then to let me be here, but I didn't ever say that I would be on it forever." I explained, cutting Yasu off before he could finish his question. I looked at them in all seriousness since even I myself didn't know what was going to happen. Ys, I wanted to be back on the team and have my 'family' back together again, but I also wanted to stay close to Hanayo in case she and Izo needed help with the triplets. There's also the issue of claiming my parent's old house. _'Damn it! There's too many decisions to make!'_

"Then does that mean that we'll be leaving without you?" Yasu asked, searching desperately in my eyes for anything that would say no. However since I had no clue, I just looked at him the way a doll would, cold and unfeeling. A look of hurt and deep sadness rolled off of both him and Monk as we settled into a silence. Eventually, I caved under said silence and tore my gaze away from them.

"Most likely." I said, deciding that it would be best to not give them any false hope.

"NO! Big brother does not approve!" Monk yelled, grabbing onto my legs, and startling both me and Yasu.

"Big brother doesn't have to approve. I am an adult by law so I can choose what I want to do." I explained, trying to shake him off, only to find it quite difficult seeing how even though I have grown, he was still much bigger, and MUCH heavier than me. My attempts to just shaking him off soon evolved into me trying to pry him off. However, once I somehow managed to do that, I stumbled backwards and landed right into Yasu's awaiting arms. Yet again I was caught in a human trap._ 'Just my luck.'_

"Aw, but Mai, you'll always be out little sis." Yasu said, squishing me tightly into his chest, making it very hard for me to breathe. Using the last bit of strength that I had left, I shoved away from him and gasped for air.

"Whatever you say you two, whatever you say." I said, finally getting my second wind back.

"Seriously though Mai, is there even a chance that you'll go back with us to SPR?" Yasu asked, looking at me with that kicked puppy look that he does so well. Looking over both of their dejected looking faces, I sighed and decided to give them a little bit of hope. I just hoped that I didn't let them down.

"Yes there is a chance." I admitted quietly, not having the strength or energy to make it any louder.

"How big of a chance?" Monk asked, with his eyes sparkling with the hope that was flooding through them. It made it very hard not to give in and smile at them. Yasu seemed to be waiting for me to say my conditions so that he could store it away and most likely made it so that they would happen. These two really are too much.

"It gets bigger every time someone apologizes to me and doesn't blame me for running away." I admitted, smiling at the two of them so that they knew that I was talking about them and what they did.

"So it's a pretty good chance." He asked, looking back at Yasu for reassurance.

"Sounds like it to me." Yasu said, looking smug at just how easy it seemed it would be to get me back on the team. Monk fist pumped the air and went and gave me a bear hug. However, I still had yet to tell them the counter part of the condition. _'Oh, I'm gonna so kill them.'_ I thought, feeling a wave of guilt hit me as to giving them a sun of hope instead of just a small ray.

"Yes, but it also decreases every time I fight with Naru or Masako." I added, making their joyful looks turn distrust once again.

"Crap, never mind. Our chances are slim." Monk said, taking a step back so that the only connection we had was his hands on my shoulder. Soon, not even that connected us as they fell away from my arms and fell back at his side. A heavy silence filled the air around us as they took in the fact that the fact that I would come back to SPR would be nothing short of a miracle.

It seemed that the weight of the world began to press down on me slowly and suffocateingly. It was in that moment that I realized just how much me being with them, or at least just being close to them, effected them. Swallowing my pride I made the one decision that I never would have thought I would make in the past few months that I came to be with Hanayo for. Taking a deep breath, looked at them cheerily, and flashed them a smile.

"Relax. I honestly think that I'll be going back. After all, Hana's gonna be having kids and Gene is most likely going to be going back with Naru. Not to mention that I can now take custody of my parents' house!" I explained, speaking the truth and using more facts to convince myself more then them.

"YES!" he shouted, once again fist pumping the air.

"Do you plan to work for SPR again then if you do?" Yasu asked, nearly bouncing in his spot. I was about to answer no when I realized that I would need an employer and it would probably be best if I did something I liked and had experience in so I just shrugged my shoulders.

"If Naru will have me." I

"Trust me, he'll have you. When he got here he asked where you were and got supper depressed when he found out you disappeared." Yasu said, pushing his glasses up so that they shinned in the light. _'Crap, that's what he always does when he gets a devious idea.'_

"Really? Hmmm." I asked, slightly surprised that he would let other people see that side of him, but not really that shocked to find out he was upset about it. After all, I did see him talking to himself promising to bring me back to SPR.

"Okay, well this is the last camera and then we can-"

"Yasu, get between Monk and I NOW!" I shouted, cutting Yasu off as I pushed him between Monk and I.

Monk and Yasu flashed me a questioning glace, but it was soon replaced with shock as the lights began to flicker, rapping began on the walls, the door slammed shut, and the temperature dropped to far down that we could see our breath. Monk took on his traditional immoveable one pose and began his chant. I also added in the chant that Ayako had taught me way back during Yasu's school case. In less than a minute of doing this the spirit retreated and everything went back to normal.

"Well that was a quick fight." Yasu said, carefully coming out between us.

"Yeah, I would have thought that it would last longer since it showed up so quickly." I thought, realizing that it really did go away really quickly. Although, it defiantly made one hell of a first impression.

"Um Mai, I don't think it was trying to hurt us or take us, yet." Monk said, looking at me with wide eyes.

"What makes you say that?"

"Take a look." He said, pointing towards the wall that was right behind the headboard. As I looked, I saw a message carved into the wall past the faded paint. A message that not only shocked me, but also made all three of us lose the color in our face. The longer that I stared at it the more I could feel a chill go up my spine. It was almost as if I could hear the house speaking to me. Giving me the message of:

"_Leave Now or Else I'll Send the Girl to Hell!"_

**Me: Hi.**

**Mai: Hello.**

**Gene: Peace.**

**Naru: Idiots.**

**Me: Do you love or even know what it is? *Looks at Naru questioningly***

**Naru: What is love?**

**Becky: Love is passing the potatoes.**

**Gene: Who are you?**

**Me: My daughter!**

**Mai: WHAT?!**

**Becky: Yeah, even though I'm older.**

**Naru, Gene, & Mai: … *Mind Shattered***

**Me: Okay then… Hey Becky.**

**Becky: What?**

**Me: YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!**

**Me&Becky: I yearn for the nectar of her skin!**

**Me: Sorry, just got done watching Mirror Mirror with Becky so we have a few inside jokes because of it.**

**Becky: Damn straight!**

**Me: LOL! XD Please review. **


	19. Dividing the Team

**Naru: Silver, tea.**

**Me: Isn't that Mai's job?**

**Naru: Yes, but unfortunately she's sick.**

**Gene: Is she alright?**

**Naru: Yes, she didn't tell me what she had but I bet it was probably nothing.**

**Me: I bet I know.**

**Gene: What is it.**

**Me: Ask Mai.**

**Naru: Silver, Tea.**

**Me: Stupid, arrogant, self-centered, tea addicted, work-a-holic, narcissist. *mumbles***

**Naru: I heard that. **

**Gene: Okay… Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt. Please R&R!**

**Mai's POV:**

"Well isn't that a nice welcoming note." Ayako said, taking a look at the picture that we took of the message on the wall. Everyone was called back to base to make sure that no one was hurt and or taken. Naru was beyond pissed at first when we called everyone in, but he has yet to say anything since we presented this piece of info to him. Then again, it wasn't like I was expecting anything else from him.

"Which girl are they talking about?" Gene asked, looking worriedly at all of us, but then resting his eyes upon me. _'Of course he would think it would be me. After all, I'm the accident prone one.'_ I thought bitterly, but soon whipped it away realizing that he was worried about me. I flashed him a smile and cocked up one of my eyebrows to show that I was anything but scared by what had happened.

"Don't know. We may have been there when it happened, but we don't know anything more than you do." Defended Monk, raising his hands up in mock surrender as everyone, minus Naru, Lin, and Masako, gathered around us.

"What we can conclude from these happenings is that no female should be left unattended. Mai, Ms. Matsuzaki, and Ms. Hara, make sure that all three of you are either together at all times or that you are with a male escort that can protect you." Naru declared, yet again giving off his usual air of superiority. Why he just can't tell it to us like a normal person I don't know. Oh wait, never mind, I do, it's because he's Naru. Enough said.

"Oh, and what's stopping the ghost from taking over the guy and then hurting us that way?" I asked, not really likening the idea of being watch. I used to hate it when we had to do that back when I worked for him, but now it's even worse now that I actually am used to freedom. Also, judging by what I saw, who's to say that even if we're escorted around then they won't get possessed? I mean, with the strength that I felt I could even see Naru getting possessed by it!

"Mai's got a point." Ayako said, coming to stand right next to me as she backed up my rebuttal. I looked up at her in question, and she flashed me one of her motherly smiles to let me know that she was on my side all the way. Ever since the moment she thanked Hanayo for taking care of me, I started to warm back up to her. In all honesty, if we keep up this 'good vibrations' thing, then I won't even need an apology from her. Hell, I may even apologize _to_ her instead for snapping at her when we first met up again!

"Really, then what do you want us to do Mai?" Naru asked. He gave me a look that clearly said 'go and just try to outdo me'. Deciding to stick to my oath to never back down from a challenge, I looked him straight in the eyes and painted a smirk all of my own on my lips.

"I think that if all the girls just stick together then we should be fine, although, now that I think about it, it wouldn't hurt to have a guy with us. As long as if they become possessed we can hold them off ourselves until we can get help. That or they're really hard to possess, so we don't have to worry about it." I proposed, crossing my arms, and leaning back on the wall that was behind me to add a bit of a cool factor that Naru usually displayed whenever things like this came up. Everyone stared at me shocked to hear such a valid reason come out of my mouth. _'What did they expect? I don't want to have my privacy invaded twenty-four seven? Please, although that may be one of my more selfish reasons, I actually do know what I'm doing every once and a while.'_

"Good point, so Naru, what's your call?" Monk asked, being the first one to recover from my out of character display.

"Seeing as how the girls, Mai, wish for it to be like that then it doesn't really matter. However, there will be two males stationed to be with them at all times. They'll be-"

"We can do it!" Yasu said, pointing to himself and Gene as he cut Naru off.

"Sure." Gene

"I don't think you call that shots." Naru said, sending a glare over at Yasu's direction. For once, Yasu actually realized the extent of his glare and hid behind Gene, hoping to take shelter from his boss's less then pleasant mood. However, it didn't help him at all, in fact it seemed as if Naru's glare got even harder on the poor boy. Feeling sympathy for him, I decided to yet again step in and direct his attention, and anger, towards me.

"You're right, and technically, Gene and I aren't a part of your group. Wanna go have a look around the scene of the crime?" I asked, turning to Gene, hoping that he would catch my drift and just follow along with it. His shocked expression soon turned to one of mischief and winked at me.

"Why not." Gene said, shrugging his shoulders and getting off the couch to come over to me.

"Well then, you'll know where to find us." I said, taking his hand in mine and heading to the door. However, I knew that it was only a matter of seconds before he would stop me from leaving with his brother.

"You two are not going anywhere. Especially you Mai. We all know that you have a habit of becoming the ghosts target, and not to mention that Gene just got discharged from the hospital a day ago." Naru said, getting out of his chair and leaning his weight on the table in front of him. He shot me a challenging look, which I gladly returned with my own.

"You're not the boss of me, and Gene can do whatever he wants. After all, he is the older one." I said, knowing that I hit a never with him not only being unable to control me, but also him being the younger brother. However, he refused to let me win and instead coked a brow at me.

"And I'm the smarter one."

"Still, you have no control over us." I remarked, knowing that whatever he says won't actually affect us in any way since we technically are as free as a bird. We locked eyes and tried to stair each other down until he sighed and shook his head.

"Fine, Yasu, Gene, make sure that the girls are safe during this case." He said, sitting back into his chair as I mentally cheered for yet another win. _'Man, Naru must be getting soft if I'm winning so much.'_ I though, realizing that if it really came down to it he would win at the arguments like he always did back when I used to work for him.

"Did he actually just give in?" Monk asked, looking at us with owlish eyes.

"I think he did." Ayako answered, also shocked at how he let me win.

"Well, we always knew that he had a soft spot for Mai." Yasu teased, getting a glare from both Naru and Masako in return. He laughed nervously and hid behind Gene as he was unaffected by both glares.

"Please, it's obvious that he just doesn't want to deal with stupid things that won't help with the case." quipped Masako, sticking her nose up in the air at the very idea that he had a soft spot for me. After all, though it may not look like it, we are still love rivals after all.

"Now, now, let's not fight." Said John, getting between everyone and trying to make peace with everyone as he usually did. Deciding to just make his life a little easier, I took a breath and calmed myself down so that I wouldn't snap at anyone.

"You're right John, sorry." I apologized, flashing him a smile and then heading to the door way to lead us out to take another walk around when I heard Ayako whisper softly to herself.

"So you'll listen to him, but not to us?"

"Yep, cause after all, he earned my respect." I stated, flashing them all a small smile and the walking out of the room with Yasu, Gene and the girls trailing behind me.

**Mai: Sorry I'm so late. Great job so far.**

**Naru: Mai, you're late. I want tea.**

**Me: Don't be so mean to her baka!**

**Gene: Wow… I think that's the first time anyone had called him an idiot flat out.**

**Me: Well, there's a first for everything.**

**Naru: Now what I would like to see a first in is to have a quiet day without you talking at all.**

**Mai: *Sweet voice& bats eyelashes* Naru, SHUT THE DAMN MOTHER FUNKING FRONT DOOR AND MAKE LIKE THE ICE DAGARES THAT YOU GLARE GO UP YOUR STUPID ASS AND LET IT MELT THERE FOR A BIT!**

**Naru: 0o0… *Hides behind Gene***

**Gene: Don't expect me to save you. You brought this all on yourself.**

**Me: Oh boy. -.-' Well, please review.**


	20. Awakening of Love and a Haunting

**Me: Sigh.**

**Mai: What's wrong?**

**Me: I'm starting to lose interest in this story.**

**Gene: NOOOOO!**

**Naru: Yes!**

**Mai: But will you finish it?**

**Me: Eventually, but it'll take me a while.**

**Mai: I see, Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt or us please R&R!**

**Mai's POV:**

"Mai, why must you cause Naru so much trouble." Yasu asked, studying me as we made our way out of our fourth room since we started our search. So far during the whole time we've been out of the room, no one had spoken a word until Yasu had to use his big mouth and start a conversation with me.

"Because he deserves it." I said innocently, giving him a look that deemed him the stupidest person alive if he couldn't figure that out.

"Yes, because you're so innocent." Ayako teased, elbowing me slightly in the side in a playful manner.

"Well you have to be to be a priestess in training." Gene said, looking at her as if she were stupid to have not known that. Masako and Ayako looked at him blankly for a few seconds and then Ayako closed her eyes and sighed while Masako sent me a questioning glare.

"Okay, so I wasn't going crazy." She said, putting her hand to her heart as if some large weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"What do you mean Ayako?" I asked, genuinely confused as to what she was talking about. As far as I knew, there was no reason for her to be stressed about anything.

"Well, when we met up and you said that you were a priestess, I wasn't sure if I had heard you right." She explained, making me want to face palm at what she had just said. _'Seriously, how did she not figure that out when I went and got all dressed up?'_ I questioned, wondering if I was this dense before Naru left for England.

"You mean you didn't figure it out when I came down in those cloths?" I asked, truly baffled as to how she didn't get the picture when I came down in a priestess outfit nearly identical to hers.

"Yeah, well, I just wanted to be sure." She puffed, looking away from me as she pouted in silence.

"Of course you would, after all, Mai is a much poorer priestess then you are. Even if you aren't that much to begin with." Masako quipped, wording her opinion so that it would insult the both of us equally with just a bit more sting to me.

"HEY!" we exclaimed, ready to get in her face, and if it weren't for Gene and Yasu we would have.

"Come on girls, stop fighting." Gene said, trying to use his smile to calm all of us down. Which did work on both Ayako and Masako quite well, but I'm another story. I may not have been completely unaffected, but since I'm so used to him smiling in my dreams that it's worn off to a certain extent. Also it helps that I love Naru and not Gene. They may be twins, but they are very much different.

"Yeah, it's bad for your complexion." Yasu added, causing all of us to sweat drop at that random piece of info.

"Really?" I asked, smiling at him with one of my eyebrows cocked up.

"Yep." He proudly said, smiling brightly at us as he adjusted his glasses.

"And you would care why?"asked Ayako, looking at him as if he were some type of alien that popped out of nowhere, which was just met with a smile from the two boys.

"Because he's Yasu, does there need to be any other reason?" Gene defended, slinging an arm around Yasu's shoulders as we continued down the hall. Yasu's smile brightened, and he slightly cuddled into Gene, but not enough for anyone to really notice. Not unless you were me who has been paying extra close attention to his behavior. _'Straight my ASS! Is he in denial?'_ I wondered, deciding to just disregard this little tid-bit.

"Good point." I agreed, sighing sadly and nodding my head at just how true that statement. He really is of his own class after all. No one I've ever met can even come close to the level that Yasu's at.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Yasu asked, puffing out his cheeks slightly as a defense, making him only look cuter. _'Wait, CUTE!? Gods, looks like I'm already seeing him as an Uke.'_ I realized, sighing to myself at just how my mind has been working as of late.

"That you're you, no matter how strange you are." Masako elaborated, making it so that it could either sound really harsh or be just a joke.

"I'm not sure if I'm supposed to take that as a complement or an insult." He said, cocking up an eyebrow as we all stared at her with only confusion shown on our faces.

"It's best to take it as a complement." Gene said, patting him on the shoulder before letting him go and continuing on down to the next level. Everyone just nodded their heads and continued onward with Yasu strangely lagging behind. I snuck a quick peak and saw a sad smile on his lips. Feeling worried about what was going on in his mind; I held myself back a bit and walked in sync with him.

"Yasu, is something wrong?" I asked in a low whisper, not wanting everyone to hear and or find out in case he wanted it to be a more private matter. He looked up at me and then gazed at the floor with a look that showed that he was debating about something. "Yasu?" I tried again, trying to make my voice sound reassuring and comforting. He looked back at me and sighed.

"I just don't know anymore." He whispered, making me stain my ears to even be able to hear him.

"Don't know what?" I asked, hoping that he would divulge something that I could use so that I could cheer him up. After all, a sad Yasu is not a good thing, cause then you get a sad Mai and then everything just goes downhill.

"Just, everything."

"Huh?"

"Well, at first it all started off as just a joke between me and Monk, but now when I'm with Gene I'm not sure what's going on." He explained, making a light bulb instantly go off in my head. _'Oh my Gods, he's still figuring it out!'_ I squealed, hoping that I would be able to help him out so that he can realize the chemistry that's been building up between him and Gene.

"Yasu, when you're around Gene what do you feel?" I asked, trying to see just how far along he was in his discovery of love.

"I feel a lot of things."

"Like?"

"Well, whenever I'm by him or think about him my heart races. I get so nervous around him yet having him near make me feel so calm. I fear but at the same time cherish all the emotions that are being stirred up inside of me. Oh I don't know anymore, what do you think Mai?" he asked turning to me with a look of desperation and pain voiced in his eyes.

I looked at him with wide eyes as he just described what love felt like to me. Happiness swelled up inside me as I now knew exactly what he felt. However I also felt lonely because I knew the feelings related to love, but could never have the happiness that went along with them. I yearned to tell him that he was majorly crushing on Gene, but knowing him he would most likely play it off as a joke instead of taking it seriously. I sighed at the predicament and then decided to take on a new tactic. _'I call it operation Get-Yasu-to-realize-that-he-is-at-least-Bi-if-not-Gay'_.

"Mai, are you okay?"he asked, throwing me a worried look. Not knowing exactly why I was getting said look, I cocked up an eyebrow to voice my opinion. He got what my point was and then elaborated it a bit more for me."Your eyes are lavender."

"It's nothing."

"But-"

"Have you ever felt this way about anyone else before?" I asked, trying to get this conversation back on task like it was supposed to be.

"No, wait, yes. There was this one girl in my class that was my type and the more time I spent with her the more these types of feelings came to the surface." Suddenly he stopped walking and talking. I looked back at him and saw his eyes wide and his mouth in a small 'o'."Hey, you don't think that-"

"Think what?" I asked, happy that he was actually figuring it all out on his own. Sure I helped a bit, but he was the one that was actually putting it all together.

"Think that I like Gene, do you?" he asked, looking at me suspiciously. I shrugged my shoulders and just made it so that it was all him in this decision and that it had nothing to do with me.

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think that I'm majorly crushing on a new friend of mine and I don't want him to hate me."

"Dude, did you forget that he thinks that you're his type?" I asked, raising a brow at just how silly he was being to have forgotten that little tid-bit. _'I mean really, who forgets when someone says that they would go after you if they could?'_ I thought, mentally face-palming myself at the situation.

"Yeah, but he was probably just messing with me." He said disheartedly, making my heart break.

Angry at the fact that Yasu wasn't waking up and smelling the coffee; I decided to get a bit more involved then I should have been. In the spur of the moment, I grabbed him by the shoulders and made him look me square in the face. His large shocked eyes met my determined ones full on, and he flinched back most likely due to the new flash of color in my eyes. _'What did Hana say anger and frustration was? Oh yeah black.'_ I remembered, trying to calm myself back down so that I didn't scare Yasu too much.

"Oh for the love of, Gene doesn't pull shit like that. Now go back to how you usually are and go confess to Gene. I'll handle the girls to give you two some alone time." I said, flashing him one of my reassuring smiles to help him believe what I said was true. After all, it _is_ true.

"Thanks Mai, now come on, we have a case to solve. Right Boss?" he asked, winking at me as he used the old nickname that he came up with during his school's case. I smiled even brighter at him and began to run down the hall to catch up with the others.

"Yeah!" We both ended up sprinting down the hall neck to neck with each other as we tried to see where the group was. Finally after running down two corridors, we saw the people we were looking for at the end of the hall.

"Where were you two?" asked Gene as we approached the group.

"Just talking." I answered, shrugging it off as nothing. Seeing movement in my peripheral vision, I focused on my right and smiled slightly to myself as I saw Yasu slowly working his way over to Gene.

"Whatever." Ayako said, obviously uninterested in what we would have been talking about.

"Did anything happen?" Masako questioned, eyeing me over as if to expect some sort of injury to magikly appear on my skin somewhere.

"Nope." I said, watching closely to the two 'hopefully-to-be' love birds as they slipped away from us.

"I see, that's surprising seen as you're most likely to be the target out of all of us." She said, putting her kimono sleeve up so that I wouldn't see the smirk that I knew was there. Deciding to just disregard it, I just opted for smiling at her instead.

"True Mai, make sure that you're careful okay?" Ayako asked, giving me her mother look telling me that she was really worried for me.

"Kay." I agreed, deciding that it would just be for the best if I just went along with it and then deal with whatever came at the time that would make me break my promise to her.

"Speaking of being careful, does anyone know what happened to Gene and Yasu?" Masako asked, bringing to attention the thing that I was trying to avert as much as possible. So much for Yasu and Gene getting some one on one time.

"They went down that hallway to talk." I said, trying to make it so that I didn't look too dejected at my failed plan. _'I hope that Yasu at least got to confess to Gene.'_ I thought, sending out my own silent little prayer for those two.

"Well we should probably go after them." Ayako said, looking around us as if something were going to pop out and scare us. Then again, giving the situation we're in that is highly probable.

"Yes, I do not like the presence in this house at all." Masako stated, drawing my attention onto the house's energy for the first time. As I focused in on it I realized that it was almost suffocating. How I missed that I had no idea, but I felt myself getting weaker and weaker every second that we were standing there.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea." I agreed, leading the way to where I knew the guys would be.

With every advance we made, I had a foreboding feeling that something was watching us. Out of paranoia I began to look over my shoulders constantly, trying to make it so that Masako and Ayako didn't notice it. Slowly I made my way behind them as they chatted about random topics, so that in case something did happen I could take care of it. Also it did help keep things less conspicuous that way.

Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow behind us on my right. Not knowing if it was a trick of the light, I turned my head around completely and saw a boy run to the hallway we just came from. Surprised that no one heard him coming, I stopped and looked back. My gut was telling me that something wasn't right, and my head was agreeing with it.

"Um, hey you guys, I'll catch up with you soon. I think I dropped my cell in the other hallway. I'll be really quick so just go and get to Gene and Yasu." I said, deciding to investigate on my own so that I didn't drag anyone into anything like I usually did when we were on a case.

"Be careful." Ayako warned, giving me a look that told me that she wouldn't argue with me. However, she still showed that she was worried about me by her words and the tenseness of her body at the idea of me being off on my own. Even if it was to 'get my cell' she still didn't want to risk it.

"Yes, we would hate to have anything bad happen to you."Masako added, hiding her face behind her sleeve yet again. I didn't know why, but for some reason I got the feeling that Masako would actually be thrilled f I did die. Whatever, she's probably just pmsing.

"Don't worry, I will be." I said, smiling at them reassuringly before I turned around and ran to the hallway.

I began to look around when I noticed an open door. _'Strange, I don't remember that being open when we were here.'_ I though, deciding to just go along with it and see what would happen. Walking into the room I noticed that the temperature dropped immediately. Deciding that it would be best to stay alert, I was extremely cautious as I approached the center of the room.

Every fiber of my being was telling me to get out, but I knew that I had to find out what was here. After all, Naru would be upset if I saw something and didn't find out what it was. Feeling that it would be best to try and just coax the spirit into talking to me, I sat down despite my uneasiness and forced myself to relax.

"I know you're here and I know you can hear me. Please tell me why you're still here. You don't belong here." I stated, remembering that when I worked for Naru there would be some cases that the spirit wouldn't even realize that they were dead. Sitting still was not easy for me. Especially since my gut was telling me to turn tail and just run home. I forced it down and decided that if in a minute they didn't respond then I would leave.

Time passed by agonizingly slow, but soon it was up and I began to get up. Just as I did though, a gust of wind surrounded me, forcing me back down on the floor. Focusing on getting out of there, I put my hands into the seal of the immoveable one and began to chant. Or at least was _about_ to chant. Before I had the chance I heard the voice that was with Chikyu when she died.

"No, _you_ don't belong here!" it said, before something wrapped around my neck and began to strangle me. I began to claw at the restraints, only to find that there was nothing there. Feeling my vision getting fuzzy I began to thrash about even more, trying to alert anyone as to where I was. However, no one came to my rescue, but I didn't give up hope just yet as only one thing ran through my head.

'_Naru, please, help me.'_ I thought right before I passed out due to the lack of oxygen getting to my brain.

**Me: Man that took a lot longer then I thought.**

**Mai: Well you did a good job with it.**

**Naru: My books are far better though.**

**Gene: Except no one can read your book without falling asleep one chapter in.**

**Naru: Whatever. *pouts***

**Me: Aw, poor Naru… Oh well, please REVIEW! XD**


	21. Finding Mai

**Me: HAPPY SHAMHEIN! XD**

**Mai: Wait. Isn't it Halloween?**

**Naru: It's the same thing you idiot.**

**Mai: HEY! *Pouts***

**Gene: Naru, you shouldn't have done that.**

**Naru: Why?**

**Me: Because now you have to wear this! *Forces Naru into a vampire costume***

**Naru: … *Glares***

**Gene: Yay costumes! *Puts on a werewolf costume***

**Mai: YES! XD *Puts on a witch costume* By the way, what are you Silver?**

**Me: I'm a High Priestess from the House of Night series. I even have the mark and everything.**

**Naru: And here I thought you just scribbled all over your face.**

**Me: MEAIE! I don't own Ghost Hunt. Please R&R.**

**Naru's POV:**

Everyone had come back to base for the last follow up before heading back to Hanayo's for the night. So far nothing really happened except for the bloody note and Chikyu being kidnapped and murdered. Everything was as it always has. Ayako and Monk were once again fighting, John was trying to break up the fight, yet failing to do so, Gene and Yasu were chatting loudly about something trivial, Masako was trying to send me seductive looks (and making me feel disgusted in the process) while cheering up John, and Lin was helping me with packing up the research materials that I'll be looking over once we all retire for the evening.

'_Wait, where's Mai?'_ I questioned, realizing that the perky little brunet had yet to enter the room. Lin noticed my subtle change in mood, as he too began to look about the room as to what could be causing it. Suddenly his eyes widened a small fraction and directed his attention to my brother and Yasu.

"Eugene Davis and Osamu Yasuhara, where is Mai?" he asked, sending them a questioning glance and a demonic aura. The two in question suddenly paled expediently and began looking all over the room. When they couldn't find her there they went over in a panic to the only females in the room.

"Has Mai come back yet?" Gene asked, having a look of panic in his eyes as Yasu kept looking around the room trying to see if she was hiding on them. Both girls seemed to be taken aback by his question and urgency, but Ms. Matsuzaki soon realized just why he was so panicked. Her eyes grew wide and face pale as she shook her head no.

"No, we haven't seen her since she went to get her cell phone in the hallway." Responded Masako, with her sleeve covering her face as usual, only leaving her eyes to determine which emotion she was carrying. Her eyes were incredibly calm, and it almost seemed if she were slightly glad that Mai wasn't here. However, I knew better and got rid of the very thought. _'Mai and Masako were great friends before I left so there's no reason for her to be glad that Mai's gone.'_ I reasoned, trying to figure out a plan of action.

"And you actually let her go?" I asked, deciding to try and find out as much as I could, seeing as we had no clue where she was and or why she would be stupid enough to go somewhere in this house alone. Also, I wasn't sure what I was surprised more of. Mai's stupidity of actually doing something so reckless after I warned her about it not even ten minutes ago, or my brother's own idiocy for letting his love of gossip interfere with his duties.

"Well, Yasu and Gene went off to talk somewhere, and Mai said that she would be fine. Also she did prove us wrong when she did the clairvoyance, so who was to say that she couldn't take care of herself now?" Ayako defended, looking extremely guilty for have not fallowing the girl and obeying my orders to stay together.

"You two did what?" I asked, glaring over at the two males who were supposed to be taking care of the girls so something like this wouldn't happen. They both paled even more than they already were (if that was even possible) and were nearly shaking in their spots. Yasu then took a deep breath, and took a hesitant step towards me.

"It was my fault." He said, with down cast eyes. Looking like a kicked puppy that had been tossed out into the cold soaking rain.

"Explain." I demanded, not really caring how harsh I sounded at that moment as long as I got the information that I needed and wanted. He flinched back away from me, but looked up and met my glare. Taking in yet another deep breath, he thus began to tell his story.

"Mai and I ended up staying back from the group because she wanted to talk to me. Then after the talk, I had to relay something to Gene in private. Mai said that she would take care of the girls and allow us time to discuss. Mai did fallow through on her promise and gave us enough time to talk when the girls came back. We asked them where Mai was, and they told us that she went to go get her cell and that she would meet us at the base. I guess that we just forgot about her until now." He admitted, obviously feeling guilty for his actions. There was a heavy silence in the air and tension so thick that you could cut through it with a knife. Deciding that we weren't going to get anything done with all of us sitting here with our mouths open (us being everyone else minus Lin and myself), I cleared my throat and gained everyone's attention yet again.

"Well, what are we waiting for? We aren't going to find Mai by sitting on our heads and staring at a wall." I said, slipping on my black coat as I made my way over to the doorway.

"But where do we look?" Monk asked, looking flustered at the fact that his 'little sister' that he had just gotten back had gone missing so quickly. I looked back at him with blank eyes as the answer easily popped into my head like everything else usually did.

"From the beginning is the best place to start." I stated before leaving the room and heading down over to the hallway that Mai was last seen in.

I heard everyone scuttle behind me. Once we got to the hallway, I had them split up into pairs and search each of the surround halls and rooms in them. Luckily Lin had enough o deal with, with Izo on his hands as they took over base. I began looking in the hallway that Mai had actually last been seen in, and checked every room. I came to the last room in the hall, but when I tried to open it, it was locked.

Curious as to why that was, I tried it a couple more times. Again it wouldn't open. For some reason, it just didn't feel right. Deciding that I would try and get it open, I began to look around it for clues. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I looked towards the bottom where there was a small pool of blood seeping out from under it. Panic took over my mind as it reeled from one possibility to another. No longer caring about what would happen; I focused my mind on one thing. Open up that door. I then imitated what I saw Monk and Lin do plenty of times during our previous cases and kicked the door down to a horrifying sight. Slowly, as if my body and mind were put on slow motion, I reached for my radio and called Lin.

"Naru?"

"I found Mai. She's unharmed, but everyone should come here and see this." I said , willing my voice to not shake as I looked at the scene in front of me.

Right there on the floor was Mai in the middle, breathing normally, with no sign of being injured. The expression on her face was peaceful, and calmed my nerves to a great extent. However, right next to her was a dog. A dead dog. A dead dog with its body parts and blood thrown all over the room. Surveying the damage and the room I didn't notice anything else. That is, until I noticed the wall, right over her was another message.

"_I warned you, but now it's begun."_

**Me: Sorry to leave you guys of on another cliffy.**

**Mai: Well at least I'm okay.**

**Naru: So how was trick-or-treating?**

**Me: It was fun, although I just walked around with my guy friend (who I wished was my boyfriend) and talked about random things. Also I was running from a stalker dude.**

**Gene: WHAT?!**

**Me: Yeah, some dude has a crush on me and wrote me into a story of his and has me do a lot of T rated stuff.**

**Naru: That's just sick.**

**Me: Tell me about it. We almost ran into them today, but luckily Matt (my guy friend) noticed that it was them and led me away as we sprinted off into the night. All in all it was actually pretty romantic.**

**Mai: Aw, that's so sweet. If you thought that was sweet, then REVIEW!**


	22. Yet Another Dream

**Me: *Sighs happily* **

**Naru: Why is she so happy?**

**Mai: She got a boyfriend.**

**Gene: WHAT?! AND SHE DIDN'T TELL ME?!**

**Mai: Nope.**

**Naru: Figures. *Watches as Gene goes off into a corner to sulk***

**Me: Huh?**

**Mai: Nothing, nothing at all.**

**Me: Oh, okay, please R&R!**

**Mai's POV:**

Drip…Drip…Drip… _'What is that?'_ I questioned, finally having some scene after blacking out.

I knew that I wasn't in the normal realm, it just didn't feel right, so I could only guess that this was a dream. Couscous about not knowing what I would see, I opened my eyes to reveal that my guess was right. Once again, I was floating on an invisible floor in the middle of a dark void. Slowly I got up onto my own two feet as to not get dizzy from moving too fast. '_Hey, I may have done that a lot in the past, but I do learn, eventually, well, you get the idea.'_

Looking around at my surroundings, I tried to pin where exactly it was that the sound was coming from. However, I was having absolutely zero luck in doing so. Deciding to just let my feet take me where ever, I began walking and letting my intuition be my guide. After all, it hasn't let me down yet! After a while of walking, the darkness seemed to mold into a corridor. I was guessing that it was in the house, but most likely when it was inhabited since there wasn't any dust.

The hallway seemed to be leading to a flight of stairs which would lead me outside. Deciding to just go with the flow, I went down the stairs and instantly heard barking. _'How the hell did I not hear them before? It sounds like they have a freaking microphone out there!'_ I thought, truly questioning my hearing as I discovered the pets. Walking outside, I was truly taken by surprise to see so many dogs. There had to be at least twenty-five, and all of different breads, genders, and ages.

Suddenly a man came up to a dog and took it to a separate area where it was then hooked up to a wall by a leash. The dog seemed to be smaller than all of the others and whimpered instead of barked. Making me want to just run up and hug the poor little thing. The man then went and got three other dogs that were a lot bigger and stronger looking, and brought them over to the smaller one. The larger dogs kept barking and caused the other one to whimper even more and hide behind its paws. The man then let the large dogs go and they charged after the little on. I heard a yelp before I actually began to process what I was seeing.

The larger dogs were biting and ripping at the little pup's fur. The sound of growls, barks, yelps, whines, and the tearing of skin was all that filled my ears. I wasn't able to get too good a look at what was going on, but I was able to piece it together. This was animal abuse and just pure cruelty! Then another sound came into play. A laugh. A simple, joy filled laugh. I looked over to where it was coming from and saw that it was the man. I took a step away from him, appalled that he could do something like this to any living being. Before I could get a good look at him, the other dogs pulled away.

Knowing that something terrible was going to await me if I looked, I braced myself for the sight that I would see. I looked over and saw bloodied bones with some flaps of fur hanging off of it. Gagging at the sight, I turned away and tried to find my happy place.

Noticing the man moving, I saw him hook the dogs back up after stopping to pet them for a little bit. He then went over to the bones and strung them together with a piece of rope. Then he took the rope and walked into the forest. Not knowing what I would find, I fallowed after him cautiously, making sure to be able to disappear in case something were to happen. He fallowed a lightly beaten path, which led us to a large tree. The man then climbed said tree with the bones in his hands. He stopped when he got closer to the top and then tied the rope of bones around a tree branch and let it hang there. The blood from the bones dripped slowly down until it hit the ground or another branch.

Realizing what this tree was, I began looking all around it to find that this Oak tree was like a Christmas tree decorated with bones instead of ornaments. I took a step closer to get a better look, and saw that a majority of the bones still had blood on them both dried and fresh. Not being able to look at the scene anymore, I turned around and ran, hopefully, to the black void in which I began. My eyes were closed as I ran, so I had absolutely no clue as to where I was going. When I had to catch my breath, I opened my eyes and saw that I had yet again returned to the tree, except now it looked dead and the man was no longer there.

Realizing that I was brought back here for a reason, I looked around again and saw even more bones up in the large Oak. Still horrified, I walked to the base to the tree, deciding that I should just get a close up and be done with it. When I did, I realized that there was a shine of something. I didn't know what it was, but it was there. _'Most likely a dog collar.'_ I thought, but quickly took back since I realized that neither of the dogs in the first part of my dream had a collar on them. Quickly turning to where it was the shine came from, I had to bite back a scream of horror for what awaited me. The shine that I had saw wasn't a collar, no, it was a ring. An engagement ring that was on the skeleton of a woman that was also hanging up by a rope tied to that tree.

Like the dogs a majority of her flesh was taken off, or in this case chewed off, and fresh blood was dripping down her bones and what was left of her dress onto the cool hard ground below my feet. Tears sprang to my eyes as I mourned for the woman that was put in this horrible death. Through my tears, I went and took her ring to see what had happened. However, I only got a flash of the man that I saw in the first part purpose to her, and then another flash of her being eaten alive. A sob broke through me, and my legs gave out. I kneeled down next to the tree with my head bowed, and held onto the ring as if it were the only thing keeping me alive.

A wind blew past me, whipping away my tears, and making me look up. I then saw the woman no longer as a skeleton, but still hung up on the tree by that dreaded rope. She was absolutely breath taking. Her long auburn hair fell in soft waves down her back, complimenting her warm haze green eyes. The dress was fully restored, and was a beautiful hue of blue that was tight around her breasts and waist, but then flowed down like silk to her ankles, complimenting her creamy white skin perfectly. She raised her arm and then pointed a slender finger towards me, or more specifically my hand which held her ring.

"Oh, sorry, you must want this back." I said lamely, out stretching my hand so that she could take it, only for her to push it away and shake her head. Before I could ask her why she didn't want it, I felt myself being ripped from the vision and back to the black void yet again. Staying on guard, I looked around my surroundings, getting ready to defend myself if need be. However, I felt the usual tug of reality calling my name for me to wake up.

Before long, I could feel the warmth of a blanket on top of me and a warm hand holding mine. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Hanayo looking at me with grey eyes a worried expression. It was then that I realized that there were tears running down my face. With a shaky hand, I began brushing them away until, like a damn, the burst through. I threw myself into Hanayo's arms and sobbed for the loss of the dogs and that woman and anyone else who died by the hand of the _monster_ I saw in my dream. Hanayo held me close, and began to rub circles on my back, trying to get me to calm down. Slowly it began to work and my sobs dwindled down to hiccups. When I was finally able to gain some control over my emotions and body, I released her and she released me.

"So what did you see sweetie-pie?" She asked warmly, knowing that whatever it was, it shock me up quite a bit. During this time, I looked around and noticed that I was in my bedroom and that all the girls' stuff was already set up._ 'I wonder where they are?'_ I questioned, but quickly discarding it, and deciding to instead answer Hana's question.

"Death, and lots of it." I muttered, knowing that she would be able to hear me.

Flashes of what I saw went through my head, and instantly I felt sick. I rushed out of the bed that I was in and ran into the bathroom to puke my guts out. Hanayo fallowed quickly behind me and held my hair back. I felt so weak that I could hardly move. In fact, the only thing I really _could_ do was sit back with my back up against the wall. Hana must have gone and gotten a cup from the kitchen, cause when I saw her again she was handing me a cup of water to get the rancid taste of bile out of my mouth. When the cup was emptied, I felt slightly better, and tried to get up again, only to have Hana put her hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"You shouldn't do too much. I'll get Izo to put you back in your bed." She was about to get up, but I grabbed her sleeve to stop her.

"Please don't leave me." I begged, looking up at her pitifully. She took my hand and squeezed it, and then let go.

"I'm just going to go get him and then come back. You'll be just fine, and I'll be back soon." I nodded my head in understanding and she then went off to get her husband.

I took this time to reflect upon what I had learned, and then remembered the ring. I opened my left hand since it was still closed since I woke up, and inside was the same ring that woman was wearing. It was then that I realized that, that woman was real and that she really did die like those dogs. Any hope that I had for having a regular nightmare vanished, as another wave of despair hit me. Yet again I began to sob for the loss of a life. I was so involved in my sadness that I didn't notice a pair of arms wrapping around me, until I was lifted off the ground. Not caring about who they were, I brayed myself in his (broad and strong) chest and let it all out. The unknown man sat down on my bed and cradled me until I calmed down. Exhaustion then took over me, and I passed out for the second time that day.

**Me: Sigh, well now we have seen the super strong Mai, and the soft broken Mai. I wonder what part of her we'll see next?**

**Mai: What are you asking us, you're the author.**

**Me: Oh yeah, you're right.**

**Naru: Idiot.**

**Me: HEY!**

**Gene: You probably shouldn't do that, not only does she have an over protective family, but her boyfriend will kick anyone's ass if they hurt her.**

**Mai: Yep.**

**Naru: Just review.**


	23. Miss Tsuki

**Me: Hi everyone, HAPPY NEW YEARS, and sorry I haven't updated in a long while. I've had other stuff going on and writing has been the last thing on my mind. XP**

**Mai: Well at least you updated now! :D**

**Me: True, anyway, so I dedicate this chapter to a special friend of mine. She read my story and reviewed and then we just started chatting after that. She's an awesome person and I just want to say thanks to her for being my friend and putting up with my babbling, so **_**Damaged Forest Spirit**_**, this is for you! XD**

**Naru: Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Gene: Please R&R for the sake of the New Year! XD**

**Mai's POV:**

The smell of pancakes and sounds of SPR and that one wood pecker awoke me from my restful sleep. Luckily I didn't have any dreams, so I actually got some decent rest instead of stressed rest that I usually got on cases. I stretched my arms up to try and get my body to loosen up, since I had ended up in a ball, some of my muscles were sore, and it would take some yoga to actually make it so that I could function properly. '_That and also being as weak as I was yesterday doesn't really help me too much either.' _I sighed at how pathetic I was, and got out of bed.

My curtains were drawn closed, and only let in a crack of sun light. Deciding that it would be best to get some sun shine in as I stretched, I flung open the curtains to the sight that I could never get tiered of.

The sun was just rising, and the beautiful colors that danced across the hill was just breathtaking. The flowers on my window sill reached up just like I had only moments ago to great the sun and it's joyful rays. There were a few trees in my line of vision, and there were birds flying around them. The sight over all was very calming and made me smile despite my sore body.

Deciding to just do some basic moves, I steadied myself and lifted my leg into the tree pose. _'Hey, I may be clumsy, but I can be quite balanced when I want to be!'_ I closed my eyes and pushed my hands together over my head. When I took a deep breath, I lowered them until they were right between my breasts. After holding that pose for a while, I brought my leg back down, and then proceeded to do a slow controlled back flip.

Taking a deep breath, I stretched up, and then back slowly until the palms of my hands touched the ground. Exhaling, I kicked over my right leg, and lifted the other one up, so that my arms were supporting my entire weight, and my legs were doing the splits. Holding this was a bitch, but it helped me with control and helped make it so that I didn't have to worry about gaining any inches that I don't want.

After what felt like an hour, but most likely only five minutes, I made my left leg touch the ground and propelled my other leg to meet it, turning me right-side-up. I then noticed how I was still in my clothes from yesterday, and I hadn't taken a shower that day.

Feeling slightly disgusted at myself, I grabbed my towel and headed straight for the shower. As soon as the door was closed and locked, I disrobed myself from my kimono and undies. When I passed the mirror, I stopped in my tracks from something I saw out of the corner of my eye. I took a closer look, and was slightly disturbed with what I saw.

I looked like absolute crap! My hair was a mess, my eyes were red and puffy from both lack of sleep and crying like a baby, I was so pale that I could be compared to a sheet of blank paper and win, and my eyes were not only hallowed, but had such a gray ting that most people would think that I was dead. Shaking off the image of myself, I continued onwards to the shower and turned the warm water on high.

The water felt heavenly on my skin as the heat seeped into it and relaxed my entire being. My mind wandered as I began to wash my hair with my favorite cherry blossom shampoo. It went from many different topics, but the main one that popped up the most was the case and who that woman was. Judging from the ring-_'Wait! Where's the ring?!'_ I questioned, becoming quite alarmed as I completely forgot about it.

As I began flailing around, a sparkle on my left hand grabbed my attention. I looked down at it and saw that it was on my ring finger. Sighing in relief, I allowed my body to hit the wall and slide down it from the release of stress. After I looked at the ring for a little while longer, I remembered something, something that I should have remembered _much_ earlier.

'_Who was the man that brought me from the bathroom to my bed, and why did they calm me down?'_ I doubt that it was Izo since Hana-chan wasn't there, but who else could it be? Maybe Monk? No, he was asleep from what I remember, as well as everyone else minus Hanayo. At least I think they were since it was around midnight. Then again, it could have been Lin or Naru. Knowing those two they could have been staying up and getting work done, work-a-holics. However, I don't see Lin going in and comforting me. Picking me up and bringing me to my bed, yes. Holding me as I cried myself to sleep, no. Also, there's _NO_ way that Naru was the one, after all, he's the emotionless robot, and doesn't care about anything other than tea and work.

Deciding that it was just best to forget about it for now and instead focus on today's tasks, I rinsed out my hair and stepped out of the shower. I quickly towel dried my body and then wrung my hair since the blow dryer and I don't really get along too well. The last time I used it my hair became such a puff-ball that you'd think that I was going to the 80's to Disco. Stepping out of the bathroom, I noticed that the door leading to the hallway was open and blushed scarlet at my stupidness. I quickly raced to the door to close it when out of nowhere Monk popped up to check on me.

"Hey Mai! Just make'n sure you're-" he started, not realizing that I was only in a towel until he was right in front of me. His eyes grew wide and a flood of red went from his cheeks down his neck. Before I could ask him to politely leave he exclaimed, "SORRY!" and then rushed out the door, leaving me to stare at where he stood with wide eyes of my own, and embarrassment filling my entire being. Not wanting a repeat of that, I closed the door and then quickly went to my wardrobe to pick out my kimono for the day.

There was a black one that had a gold sunflower pattern on the bottom and lighter yellow obi, a light navy blue one that had pale purple and teal green detailing all around and a light pink obi with little magenta hearts all around it, an ocean blue one with pink sakura blossoms/ petals with a red obi, an indigo one that had various shades of purple violets all around it with another red obi, a red-orange one that was decorated with different patterned fan and a teal obi, a light blue pled one that had random boxes of white with either pink flowers or light purple dragonflies in them and a violet obi, a gold one with pink lotus flowers and a red obi, and finally a light red with pale warm colored flowers that seemed to glow along with orbs of pale pink and orange that covered the cloth, matching a lavender obi that I could choose from since the others still needed to be washed_._

Deciding that I didn't want to be too bold, I went with the light blue pled one and quickly put it on. Since my hair was so short, it dried fairly quickly which allowed me to brush through it just as fast and then pin it up with the butterfly hairpin. After doing a once over to make sure that I looked presentable, I walked over to the door and began my decent to the kitchen where the rest of the team was.

"Good morning Mai." Hanayo said as I rounded the corner. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at me. There was awkwardness surrounding all of us, but I just shrugged my shoulders and moved over by Hana.

"Hey, so what's for breakfast?" I asked, moving over towards her and the stove that she was working over. Though the smell hit me before I actually saw it, and it made my mouth water.

"French toast." Izo said, placing his plate and silverware in the sink and then gave Hana a kiss on the cheek. Looks like those two have made up, and won't be having a fight anytime soon. At least I hope not, cause Hana by no means needs anymore stress added to her then there already is.

"Yum."

"You're telling me. What do you put in these things that make them taste so good?" Monk asked, finishing off his plate, and bringing it over to her to get seconds.

"Magick." Hanayo said, flashing him a smile that only she could make mysterious and kind all at the same time. Though, based off of Monk's confused look, he didn't get one part of that.

"U-huh, I see. Well is there any way that you could teach me some magick so that I can whip this up at home?" he asked, smiling questioningly at her. She seemed to consider it for a moment, and then another smile lit up her face.

"Sure, just ask Mai when you get back to the big city." She said, throwing all of us off guard. She threw me a look that clearly said that she knew what was going through my head and how I actually have been considering it. I threw her a look back that told her thanks which she replied with a smile.

"But Mai won't be coming back with us. She obviously prefers here more then out at Shibuya." Masako said, quickly trying to reject the possibility of me coming back. This for some reason angered me, so I decided to forget about breakfast and focused on retaliating and speaking my mind like I normally do.

"Actually, I'm not sure. I may or may not go back. It all depends on how this case goes." I said, answering honestly. I saw Naru's eyes glance over at me with a spark of emotion, but as quickly as it came, it left and he went back to reading his book. Masako sent me and evil glare when she saw this, but did nothing to protest against it.

"If you did come back to work for me then you would have the same exact job and pay as you had before you left." He said, trying to make it as if me returning isn't that big of a deal for him, even though I knew differently. He really can be stubborn about his emotions, but he wouldn't be the Naru I know and love if he didn't.

"I figured as much, and I really don't care. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm not really in it for the money, I'm in it for the memories that I make with friends."

"YAY! Mai-chan just called us her friends!" Yasu shouted, throwing his arms up into the air and then wrapping them around me, only to get pulled off of me by none other than Gene.

"Yasu, don't suffocate her, that's Monk's job!" he scolded, making Yasu pout, but agree none the less.

"Yep. HEY!" He exclaimed, after a few moments when what he said sunk into his thick skull. John went up to him and patted him on the back for comfort.

"I hate to say it, but it's true mate."

"By the way, why were you so flustered when you came back down the stairs after you went to go check on Mai?" Ayako asked, making me flash back to what had happened just before I had come down here. I caught a look from Monk as he tensed up and began to blush red, so I just decided to cover for him and make it less awkward for the both of us.

"Let's just say that I need to remember to close my doors." I said, letting it hang in the open and making it so that everyone's imagination came up with an answer for them. They all took a moment to figure something out, and by the looks of some people, it would **NOT** be anything appropriate at all.

"Okay then, so Naru, what's the game plan for today?" Madoka asked, deciding to just skip the explanation of what I ment and just change the topic.

"We will be exploring the rest of the house, and Mai, I want you to stay at base today since you wandering the house even with a group spells disaster for yourself and more work for others. Am I understood?" Naru asked, catching me off guard at the decision he had made. _'Who the hell did he think he was ordering me around like that?! Also, I do not add extra work for others. Most of the time I eliminate work by figuring out what the hell is going on with the gosh darned spirit!'_

"Eh?! But you said-"

"And now I'm saying differently. Yesterday, you cause us all unnecessary stress that would have been prevented had you just stayed here like you were supposed to. Be glad that I'm even allowing you to go back to the house at all." He snapped, cutting me off, and igniting my flame of anger. He wasn't even treating me as if I was a part of the team. Instead to him I was like some little kid of the owner's of the house that popped in and tried to help, but only made things worse. _'Fine, if he wants to treat me that way, then he'll have to talk to me that way!'_

"Fine, then if you're going to be treating me as if I'm not a part of the team, then please refer to me as Miss Tsuki." I retorted, earning a surprised look from everyone in the room. Even Hana seemed slightly taken aback by my stated ment. Naru and I however continued to stare each other down until he sighed and looked away.

"Very well Miss Tsuki, just make sure to follow what I instructed." He said, caving into my request, and making me feel slightly empowered, even though a type of loneliness started to create a void in the pit of my stomach. No one had said anything until Masako cleared her throat, which could only spell trouble for me.

"Naru, if I may make a suggestion." She said, drawing everyone's attention to her and causing Naru's brow to go up.

"Yes, Miss Hara?"

"Maybe Mai, I mean _Miss Tsuki_ should stay here. Madoka didn't get to see the house since she stayed with Hanayo-san at the house. This way she would be able to see what we're working with, and also Miss Tsuki would be out of our way." Everyone had some type of shocked expression on their face (except for Naru and Lin) at what she had suggested. Gene and Yasu, however had their shock quickly replaced with anger an disgust. _'So I'm __**not**__ the only one who thinks she's being a bitch.'_ Before I could respond to what she had said, Madoka intervened with a small laugh.

"Awe, that's sweet of you to think of me Masako, but Hana-chan and I actually have plans to go shopping in the town today." She said, throwing me a quick wink as I caught on to what she was doing. _'Thanks Madoka, I'll have to remember to do something nice for her in return.'_

"Yep, we plan on hitting the baby store and getting some cloths and other essentials." Hana added, also playing along with what Madoka said. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that the dreams she has will be of quite some use. After all, the last one she had, she got a ring from a ghost at the house, right Mai?" she said, drawing attention to me, and the dream that I had completely and totally forgot about telling to the rest of the team. _'What would I do without her?´_ I questioned, not really wanting to find out the answer to it. When I realized that everyone was waiting for a response from me, I help up my hand and nodded to them.

"Yep."

"Eh, when did you have that one Mai?" Monk asked, completely ignoring what I had just said to Naru about calling me by my new last name, then again, I liked it better that way. Deciding to just brush it off and shrugged my shoulders at him.

"When I was being a problem and caused everyone unnecessary stress."

"What happened in it?" Naru asked, motioning for Lin to write down what it was I said. Geez was he all work and no play. Then again, me kinda telling him off probably didn't help matters either, but meh, that's a bridge we'll burn when we get there.

"I saw a man let lose a group of dogs to attack this one innocent pup, and then I was at a tree where there were bones, dog bones, hanging up upon it. Farther up in the tree there was a woman's remains and with it was this ring. I touched it, and I saw that the same thing that happened to that pup happened to that woman. She had dogs sent after her by her own fiancé. Then her spirit came to me and gave me the ring and thus ending my dream." I explained, not really wanting to get into the gory details about it, since it would only bring up the disturbing images that would make me sick.

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" he asked, glaring at me for withholding this important information. Everyone just rolled their eyes, knowing that it would just end in another fight. Though, even in knowing that, it still felt natural and normal to do it even after all this time.

"I don't know, maybe because someone was being mean to me Mr. Davis." I said, seeing that the use of his actual last name had thrown him off guard. The look in his eye, which I couldn't read, made a pain go through my chest as if I had hurt him unknowingly. He had then dropped his head and looked away from me in the cold way that he pushed us all away when we first met him.

"I see, I apologize then for that Miss Tsuki." He said, catching me off guard at his ice cold tone and the distant sound in his voice. However, I didn't let it bother me, and instead I put on a smile to show that it didn't bother me.

"Apology accepted, now let's go before the ghost decides to find a new place to haunt." I said, making my way for the door so that we could start the day, and hopefully get one step closer to solving this case.

"I call riding with Mai!" cried, Monk, Yasu, Gene, John, and Ayako, making me laugh at their enthusiasm and plus the fact that they also didn't call me Miss Tsuki, but Mai. Their Mai. Just like how it was and how I wanted it to be.

**Me: Wow… this was one loooooong chapter. ^-^'**

**Naru: It makes up for your laziness for the past weeks.**

**Gene: YEP! ;D**

**Me: Thanks, I feel so loved. -_-**

**Mai: Don't worry, you are! ;)**

**Me: Thanks, anyway, again Happy New Years, and please-**

**Everyone: REVIEW!**


	24. Informational Knives

**Me: Hi everyone!**

**Mai: Silver, you collapsed earlier! You should be in bed, not up typing a chapter that you can do once you're better.**

**Naru: You are an idiot.**

**Gene: I agree with that.**

**Me: Bleh, meanies. Anyway, I have a big favor to ask of you readers! One of my friends has posted a new story up on fanfiction. Her name is ****FrankieHough. She put up her story on another website, but no one commented on it. For all those writers out there, I believe that it's the reviews that keep us going and keep writing, so please, if you could check-out her story (it's about dancing with the stars, and you don't even have to review, but it would be greatly appreciated if you do) then it would mean a lot to both of us. She only has one story, so all you would need to do is copy her pen-name and then put it in the search for author section. Again, if you would do that it would be extremely appreciated (also, it could count as your good dead of the day!)**

**Naru: Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Gene: And Frankie doesn't own DWTS.**

**Mai: Please R&R to both stories!**

"Ms. Tsuki, tea." Naru called, making me groan at his fifth request for tea in the last thirty minutes.

'_Seriously, where does he have room for all this tea? Better yet, why doesn't he have to go to the bathroom all the damn time!?'_ I questioned, getting up and moving my butt to the portable kitchen that was in the base in the house. The actual base was at Hana's house, but this is the one blessed room that the spirit can't get into due to all the charms we put on the walls. It was actually Naru's idea to have a base room here in the house so that we could regroup and plan our next move as well as chill, but it was Gene's idea to 'spirit proof' the room. It turns out that those two really do make a good team, when they're not arguing and teasing each other that is.

"Lin, do you want any tea?" I asked, looking at said man who was watching the video feed from his lap-top. It turns out that all of the cameras are linked to his lap-top, so he can monitor the entire house from here as well. He looked up from what he was doing, and nodded his head.

"Tea would be very nice, thank you Mai-chan." He said, smiling at me and then going back to his lap-top. I smiled back at him and then added the appropriate amount of water to the kettle so that there would be enough tea for everyone.

"Since when has Lin called you Mai-chan?" Naru asked, not looking up from the research papers that Yasu did on the house. Lin stopped his typing and then looked at me with an expression asking me if he want me or him to tell Naru when that change occurred. I shrugged my shoulders and waved my hand, showing that it was no big deal and that I would tell him. He nodded his head, and went back to work as the tea kettle whistled.

"It was during the bloodstained labyrinth case. We were alone in the base and Lin told me that he hated the Japanese. I got emotional and told him that I was fine if he hated me for being me, but I thought that it was wrong for him to hate me for being something that I was born into and couldn't change." I explained, maneuvering through the process of making his tea like I had so many times before. I smiled at the memory and brought over the tea to Lin, which he responded to with a nod. I decided to throw a playful glare his way for his reaction to my over emotional moment, which made Naru raise one of his brows in question. I then walked over to Naru and gave him his tea as I continued my explanation. "Apparently he found it funny and laughed. He told me that someone said something very similar to that to him, and that he didn't hate me. We apologized to each other, and then moved on with our lives. No big deal." I said, finding my spot back on the couch and shrugging my shoulders since it was no big deal. It may have made the bond between Lin and I stronger, but it really wasn't too big a deal.

"I see." Was all he said, and then he went right back to work.

"My question for you Mai-chan is why you're making Naru tea when he asks you to when you were so hell-bent against doing it?" Lin asked, looking at me as if trying to figure out a complex equation that always seemed to elude him. I thought about it for a moment, and just shrugged.

"Since I can't leave the base, I'm limited to what I can do. Since I'm limited to what I can do, I try and help. Since Naru won't let me help with anything, I become easily bored. When I become bored, I either fall asleep or do anything to preoccupy myself. Enough of an explanation?" Lin nodded his head and then slipped on earphones to listen to the sounds that we had recorded, but to most likely in my opinion to escape the conversations/arguments that Naru and I would be getting into very shortly judging by the way that a vein was popping out of him forehead.

"Then why don't you be useful and fall asleep?" He asked, giving me a slight glare. _'Yep, he was defiantly trying to tune out our fight. Lucky bastard.'_ I thought grimly, throwing him a jealous look, but then refocusing on Naru's and my argument.

"Because a certain someone keeps telling me to make tea, so I don't have the chance to get so bored that I just fall asleep automatically." I depaned, giving him a slight 'Duh' look aimed specifically at him. He returned my look with a glare, and moved back to reading his book. "I see, then go to sleep, and ignore any requests that I make." He said, not looking up as he focused back onto work. I sighed as I watched him from the couch. After a little while I began to become bored, so I got up and went over by Lin. He was busy typing up what had happened on the case as well as what had happened overnight. He opened up a new page and began to write a new document. Curious as to what it was, I leaned over a bit and saw that he was typing out a message to me.

"_Mai-chan,_

_I'm sorry for what had happened before we left for England, and I hate to imagine what had happened while we were away and you were left alone. For that I apologize for both Madoka and myself. We thought that we were leaving you in the warm hands of your 'family', but it seems as though we were wrong. Although Naru won't admit it, he's had a faraway look ever since he went back home up until he saw you again. He truly did miss you and not just your tea (although I think that was a bonus to him). Please give him a chance to redeem himself. Ever since you showed up and had Gene with you it's thrown him through a loop, and he's trying to figure not only this, but his own feelings out too. So if there's any way for you to forgive him, please let him know."_

Feeling touched by what he had said, err, typed, I took control of the lap-top and started writhing my own little response to what he had said.

"_Lin,_

_Thank you for apologizing, and I forgive both you and Madoka. You two are like an Aunt and Uncle to me, so there's no way that I could stay mad at you guys. In all honesty, I want to join back up with SPR and have things be like they were. In all actuality, I'm waiting for Naru to apologize to me. I know that he wants me to come back, I've had a dream about it. As he is right now, nothing is going to happen, but I'll wait until he' ready to own up to what he's done and take me back to SPR. So far I have made amends with all of the guys (minus Naru) and all of the girls, but I need to talk to them and tell them that I'm sorry for acting like a bitch when we first met up and that I want to be friends again (minus Masako, she's still on my hit list and hasn't been nice to me ONCE!)."_

Lin smiled, and took back control over his lap-top. His figures danced across the key-board and had another message typed up in less than a minute.

"_I'm glad to hear that, I hope that you will make up soon so that things will go back to normal. Masako has also been getting on my nerves as well as of late. Even more then she was on Naru's before he left for England."_

I got one look at this and almost doubled over laughing. My hand had to cover my mouth so that Lin and I wouldn't get in trouble by the big bad boss since he didn't, or at least didn't acknowledge, that we were even communicating through the means of typing. Lin looked up at me and smiled slightly. He didn't remind me of the talk mysterious and emotionless man that he was when he first came here. Now he shows a lot more emotions and is a lot kinder to me. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but it is slightly weird. Seeing that Lin was waiting for me to respond, I quickly took control of his lap-top again, typing out the words that I wish I could say instead.

"_Me too, and I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thought that. In my opinion, I think that's she's gotten even more bitchy then before!"_

Lin read it and then nodded, agreeing with me. Oh how nice it was to be right every once in a while! I heard shuffling coming over by where Naru was, and saw that he was now on another folder. _'Geez, he is getting absolutely nowhere, and at this rate it'll take forever until we get something relevant.'_ I thought, wonder why it was taking him so long to read through all of those papers. Back in the day, (Geez I sound old!) he used to go through those things in less than an hour, but now it's been like four. I wonder if this house just has that much history? Deciding to go and help out if I could, I took the lap-top back to tell Lin my plan.

"_Hey Lin, I'm gonna go and sleep to try and find some info to help Naru out. It looks like he's struggling over there. Talk to ya later! ;)"_

With that, I turned around and went back to my place on the couch, only lying down instead of sitting and doing absolutely nothing. Slowly, my eyes began to droop and I felt myself falling into my subconscious. When I opened my eyes again, I was once more in the dream realm, and yet again but the murder tree.

I looked around, and noticed that nothing had really changed. The woman's bones were still up there, multiple dogs' corpses were up there, and the sight still made me want to curl up in a ball and cry my eyes out. Deciding that I should probably get moving since there was nothing new here, I began making my way down the small beaten path that lead back to the house. This time I paid more attention to my surroundings so that I could find my way here in case I needed to outside of the astral plane. _'If I ever get away from Naru that is.'_ I scoffed, remembering how I'm technically under base-arrest since I'm too much of a liability. Damn does he ever make me mad!

Finally, I had gotten back to the house and instead of seeing all those dogs chained up like last time, there was a little boy playing in a normal backyard, no dogs in sight. In fact, it looked as if it were a completely different yard! Unfortunately I was unable to ponder more about this before I heard a man call the child into the house. I followed along, and was stunned to see that the man who had killed those dogs and his wife was hugging the boy. The boy looked up at the man with curios eyes that looked like exact replicas of the woman's.

"Daddy? When's Mommy coming home?" he asked, a look of sadness and longing creeping into the boy's eyes and mixing with his curiosity. The man's grip on the boy tightened and I could tell from where I was that his jaw was clenched. Right away I knew that this would spell trouble, and I prepared myself for the horrors that could possibly come.

"She's not coming home." The man said, looking at his son with hardened eyes. No longer looking like a warm caring father like he was before, and instead resembling the man that killed that woman and all those dogs.

"Why?"

"Because she left. All you have left is me. Do you understand?" the man asked, holding his son away at arm's length and boring his gaze into his head. The boy's head dropped, and he began to tremble a bit. He clenched his fists and then nodded his head in understanding of his father's words. "Good boy."

With that my dream faded out, and I was yet again in the endless darkness trying to figure out what had just happened._ 'Well this was a waste of time. I think that the only positive was that I memorized how to get to that one tree.'_ I realized, slightly disappointed at the turnout of my dream. Slowly the black world began to fill with white orbs, and an outline of the house was formed. I began to look around and saw that there was actually a lot of ground that we had yet to cover. That or I had missed out on a lot and Naru, or someone else, will have to fill me in on the findings of what we had so far. Right away I noticed that Naru and Lin were still in the 'base' working on whatever it was that they worked on. I spotted John and Monk on the second floor in that one room that we were in when we were first attacked and had the first message delivered to us.

Monk was all decked out in his exorcism attire and John was in his full priest uniform. Automatically it click that they were about to do an exorcism, or at least a cleansing, on the room. Nothing seemed to be happening, so it either ment that it was going well or that it was doing nothing to the spirits that resided here. Whichever one it was, I knew that they could handle things themselves. Even if Naru doesn't think they can, I do. Looking around a bit more, I saw that Ayako, Masako, Gene, and Yasu were on the first floor by the kitchen. It was almost directly below where the exorcism/cleansing was taking place.

I was about to move past it, and look around the rest of the house to see what I could find when a sudden feeling of overwhelming danger shot through me. Immediately my focus was back on the group in the kitchen, and I was alert and ready. Nothing had stirred in the room that was out of the ordinary, but still my instincts were on high. There was suddenly a movement in the far right corner of the room. I took a closer look and saw that it was a fox fire.

Gene hadn't noticed it since he was too busy with Yasu, and Masako looked too weak to be able to pinpoint or see anything. Ayako and Yasu didn't seem to act as if they noticed anything either. None of them noticed, and no one knew that they were in danger except for me. _'Why do I feel like this is Yasu's old school case all over again?'_ I questioned, quickly going into panic mode at what the fox fire could possibly do to them if they weren't warned soon.

Automatically I began to look for a way out of my dream. Normally they would just end and I would wake up, but this is something that I wasn't gonna let time keep me from. This spirit is too strong and too dangerous to let things go lightly. I had seen what that spirit can do, and I'll be damnned before I let it get its hands on any of the SPR team! A pathway opened up to my right, and since I had nowhere else to go that could lead to a way to wake up, I took it and sprinted into a wall of light. The next thing I knew I was sitting up on the couch in the makeshift base room. It took me a quick moment to gather my bearings, but as soon as I remembered the evil shadow in the kitchen I bolted into action.

"Mai!" Naru shouted, trying to get me to come back into the room and explain my actions, but if I did that then it could then be too late for the people in the kitchen.

The hallways blurred past me as I rounded corners and skipped steps to get there as fast as I could. Voices of those inside could be heard, and I then double my already fast speed. I burst through the kitchen doors and nearly slammed into Gene as I tried to slow down. Everyone looked at me stunned as I attempted to catch my breath to tell them to get the hell out of there or incase I needed to do a mantra. Yasu was the first to break out of the stunned atmosphere and cleared his throat to draw the attention to him.

"Um Mai, why are you-"

"Out now!" was all I said as I began to push everyone from behind to the door. However, before I could do that, Naru came through the same doors I did only moments ago with anger clearly shown on his face.

"Mai, what was that all about?" He asked, blocking the doorway so that I couldn't escape his wrath. My eyes darted around the room and landed where I saw the dark energy from in my dream. No one seemed to have taken notice of this, only causing me farther panic.

"I'll explain up at base." I said, trying to persuade him to move his big egotistical butt out of the way, only for him to glare at me and then move even more in my way then before.

"No, Mai. Here and _now._" He said slowly, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight.

My gut began to act up in that moment causing me to be on full alert. The shadow in the corner had changed into a silhouette of a dog and my instincts told me to choose to either fight or run for the hills. I threw Naru a pleading looks, but instead he just glared harder at me. The dog growled, and I immediately made up my mind. I'll fight.

In that instant, a dower opened and knifes began to levitate from inside them. Not only did they look lethal, but they were also aimed directly at us. Everyone stared at the knives with open mouths and only began to realize what was going on when they were flying at us. Knowing that I couldn't really count on anyone here being able to take care of this, I pulled out my athame and began deflecting knives. They were coming at us in a frenzy, but luckily thanks to my new eyesight I was able to track them, deflect them, and cut the invisible strings that controlled them all in one sweep of my blade. When the last blade fell I took a step back and sighed. Feeling as though the danger here had left us be for now, I put away my athame, and turned to the group here in the kitchen.

They were all struck with faces of awe. It made me want to laugh at the new expression that I saw on Naru's face. Or on Gene's face which was the honest version of what Naru was feeling at the moment. Naru, of course, was the first to recover from the near death experience. At first it seemed as if he was going to question me about what had just happened, but then thought better of it since he closed his mouth before he could say anything. He cleared his throat in an attempt to get everyone else out of their shock as well, and it worked pretty well.

"And this is why ladies and gents is why I wanted to take this up at base." I said, with a smile etched onto my face. After that, I walked past Naru and went on my merry way back to our base where I would wait for everyone to pile in and question me like I knew they would.

**Me: And I thought that the last couple of chapters were long. -_-**

**Mai: Well at least you finished.**

**Gene: Yeah, you gotta look at the bright side! ;)**

**Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah.**

**Naru: Idiots.**

**Mai&Gene: Please REVIEW! XD**


	25. Another Explanation

**Me: Hi everyone, sorry I haven't updated in a while.**

**Naru: Great, she's back.**

**Mai: Of course she is, she doesn't leave a story unfinished.**

**Me: Yep! ;3**

**Naru: *rolls eyes* Whatever.**

**Gene: Please R&R!**

**Mai's POV:**

Everyone was now at base. Monk and John had also joined us since Naru called them in to have it so that everyone was on the same page. I had made tea for everyone, and now that we were all settled in, everyone was looking at me with curious looks waiting for me to explain myself. This didn't bother me in the slightest though. Actually, it made me feel as if I had some power over them and was now starting to prove my worth to the team whereas before Naru left I was just some silly high school girl who had some abilities that she didn't even know how to control very well. A smile graced my lips at seeing how much I really had changed from back then, power and control wise, and I had to force down a giggle that was bubbling up my throat at the looks I had gotten when I started to show my old teammates my advancements.

"Ehem, Mai, we don't have all day." Naru said, clearing his throat to gain everyone's attention. I simply rolled my eyes at the high and mighty act that he always does, and just chilled back into my seat so that I was comfy for when things started to get kicked off.

"Well, what do you want to know?" I asked honestly. _'Hey, I don't know what they know or what they want to know. I may be psychic, but I can't read minds! After all, that's Hanayo, Naru, and Gene's job. Not mine.'_ I thought, reasoning with myself for any harsh behavior that I aimed at them.

"How about we start off on filling John and I in on what had happened since we were doing a cleansing on a room when whatever happened actually happened." Monk asked, eyeing all of us with curiosity, but letting his gaze fall between me and Naru, waiting for one of us to explain what had happened not even ten minutes ago.

"What happened was that Mai had just awoken from sleeping and then sprinted to the kitchen. There she tried to get everyone there to get out, but Naru blocked her and told him to explain why he and the others should leave. However, paranormal activity kicked in and knives were picked up from their draws and thrown at them. Mai responded swiftly and blocked all of the knives headed their way with a knife of her own and drove the spirit away." Lin explained, knowing that Naru wouldn't when it was technically his blunder of keeping us there when I kept telling him to go in the first place. I mean seriously.

You would have thought that with all the cases we've been on and all that's happened to us in the past that he would know that when I run off something bad is going to happen and to just _listen _to me for once in his life! Monk and John's eyes grew extremely wide and looked at me as if I were from another dimension. I simply shrugged my shoulders since what happened, happened, and you can't change the past. Only the present and future. Silence fell around our group, and no one even dared move until it was broken and sound was in the air yet again.

"How in the world were you able to do that?" Ayako asked, being the brave one to breaking the silence and looking as if she were on the verge of hyperventilating. Monk gently took her hand in hopes that it would calm her down, but it didn't do too much besides make her muscles relax a bit. There was still fear in her wide brown eyes from what had happened nearly moments before.

"With my eyes."

"What do you mean with your eyes?" Yasu asked, giving me a confused puppy look that made a smile work its way onto my lips.

"Well, I've been working on this for a while after I met Hanayo. Our clan is very special. The eyes are what marks us and is our greatest gift. Each of us is tied to the paranormal through them. We can see things that others don't. Also, we get visions that give us a heads up when something is going to happen. I'm still trying to understand and use it to the fullest abilities, but it's a lot of work. Now that I have Hanayo though, it has made things easier."

"True, I remember when she was working with her 'sight'." Izo said, popping up into the room.

"What the heck! Where were you?"

"Hana-chan made us lunch and I brought it over. Now then, I'm guessing you used you sight when you were in a pinch and that made them freak out?" he asked, deducing everything wonderfully. Then again, he is the husband of Hanayo, so he probably has a lot more experience of being surprised by her and her abilities then the gang has had so far.

"Pi-pon! We have a winner!" I said, settling into my seat a bit more as Izo passed out lunch to us.

"Figured. I remember when I was first getting to know her and her eyes changed and she was able to do all these spectacular things I was awed, but also a little scared." Suddenly, Izo's cell started to ring. Confused as to who would call him now, he answered his phone and in the process accidently hit the speaker button. "Hello?"

"If by slightly scared you mean running away screaming like a little girl and then avoiding me for a month until Madoka kicked your butt back into reality, then yes, he was just a little scared." A voice said, joining in on our conversation as well as poking fun at Izo. Instantly I recognized it as Hanayo and had to restrain a laugh so that I wouldn't be rude to Izo.

"Dude, seriously?!" Monk asked, bursting out laughing along with Ayako, Gene, and Yasu. Masako, though she covered her mouth with a sleeve, smiled at that statement along with John, seeing as they were too respectful to actually laugh at the poor man. Then, as always, Lin and Naru had straight faces and didn't even show the slightest bit of humor.

"Well, this was in high school before I even got into the paranormal!" he defended, his face turning red at the humor in the room that came at his expense.

"Yes, yes it was, but that still doesn't change the fact that you were afraid of me for quite some time." She said, adding salt to the injury. Izo gathered up what little dignity he had after the blow and rolled his eyes at his phone.

"Bye Dear."

"Bye sweetie, love you!" she said right before ending the call. Izo sighed at her interruption and then closed his cell to put it away. Everyone then fell into silence from the randomness.

"Well that's Hanayo for you." I said, shrugging my shoulders and then slouching into the couch.

"Back to the main point, so the dreams you've had and all the supernatural abilities that you have are due to your blood lineage?" Naru asked, suspicious about the whole thing. A nervous feeling came up into my gut, telling me that Naru was onto me and Hanayo's secret. If he found out, I really don't care what it would do to me, but it would be bad for Hanayo, and she really does _not_ need the stress in the position that she is now in. I opened my mouth to reply, however, Gene was faster then I was.

"I believe that, that's exactly what she told you, you idiot scientist." Immediately after that was said, the atmosphere in the room, along with the temperature, dropped to a dangerous level. Naru glared evilly at his twin and took a step towards him.

"Shut up stupid medium." Naru retorted, firing up both his and Gene's fighting spirit. It seemed as if everyone else was on the sidelines of a fight that no one wanted to get between. Even Lin and Izo took a couple of steps away from the potential fight. Everyone came to realize this and followed the two's lead and stepped away from the twins, all except of me that is, and prepared themselves to see blood. Both boys were fired up and ready to go, and to prove their point, they were toe to toe staring each other down.

"Make me."

"My pleasure."

"Okay! How about we go do one last run through of the house, do temperature readings for the rooms, and then head on back home. How does that sound?" I asked, getting in-between the brawling brothers so that they didn't hurt themselves, or each other.

"Very well, Gene, Yasu, you two will take the girls and take temperature readings and try to sense if there are any spirits nearby. Monk, John, go with them and do a quick cleansing where ever they say there's a spirit. Mai, you will stay here along with Lin and I and we will pack up so that we can leave once everyone regroups outside. Stay connected through the radios and hurry up." With that said, everyone hopped to it, and went in the directions that they were told to go, leaving me to deal with the big bad boss. Sighing, I began to help get everything in order when a thought came to me.

"Didn't I tell you to not call me Mai?" I asked, remembering how he called out my first name when he chased after me and into the kitchen. Naru stopped in his tracks for a moment and then glanced over at me.

"Didn't you say that you weren't going to call me Naru?" he replied back, then went on gathering what we needed.

"Touché." I said, knowing full well that I have called him Naru before. '_I guess I just can't kick that old name or that old habit. Just like how I can't kick the love that I have for you, Naru.'_ I thought, sighing at my own expense that my emotions were putting me through.

"Tea." Naru called, making me snap out of my thinking about how I still love the idiot and sigh at his addiction. Looks like things will never change.

**Me: Bleh, Nothing happened in this chapter!**

**Naru: Then why did you write it.**

**Mai: Cause it followed the story.**

**Naru: Yeah, whatever.**

**Gene: Please review!**


	26. The Eyes and Dreams

**Me: I'M SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO WRITE THIS! I was working on ACTs and final projects and finals are in 2 weeks.**

**Naru: At least you focus in you studies, unlike some people I know.**

**Mai&Gene: HEY!**

**Me: Anyway, I'm extremely sorry for the delay, so here's the next chapter I hope you like it! ^-^**

**Naru: Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt.**

**Mai:**_** When I'm in Dreamland it will be bold and Italicized… Just like this! XD**_

**Gene: Please R&R!**

**Mai's POV:**

"Honey, we're home!" Izo called, making me flash to an old time show that Hana and I had seen one night when we couldn't fall asleep and channel surfed, about how the husband would come home, the wife would always great him with a kiss on the check, and then takes his briefcase while he relaxed. '_Also, knowing how Hanayo, that would be completely and totally possible.' _I thought, chuckling softly to myself, causing Gene and Yasu to throw a glance at me which I just shrugged off.

"Perfect timing everyone!" Madoka said, coming out of the kitchen with an apron on and some flour on her checks. "Hanayo and I just finished up dinner."

"Thanks Madoka, it smells great." Izo said as he led us into the dining room where all the plates were set out and Hanayo was carrying in the last try of the meal as she flashed a bright smile in our direction.

"So, how is the case coming along?" Madoka asked, sitting down at the table while everyone else followed suit while Izo pulled out the chair for Hana to sit down in and then pushed her in like a gentleman. Seeing this made my respect go up for him, since he did seem very sincere about loving Hana, and the scene that happened when they came home had just been a stupid quarrel between the two of them. Though, I still had an eye on him since it did prove that he had absolutely no clue how to deal with a hysterical woman. Correction, hysterical _pregnant_ woman. I depaned, hoping that I could take care of Hana when that did happen as I refocused on the conversation that was going on around me.

"It progressed to knives being thrown at us, but as for information, we got zilch." Yasu explained, taking the dish of mashed potatoes and putting some onto his plate and then passed the dish to the right.

"I see, so I heard that you all had a surprise from Mai today." Hanayo said, throwing her husband a look which made him blush and look away making her chuckle at his reaction.

"Yes, and actually, I was wondering if you would shed some light onto this subject." Naru stated, eyeing Hanayo with an analyzing and expecting look which was met by a small smile dancing on her lips. She took a deep breath and then leaned back in her chair to get comfy, prepared for the interrogation that Naru has planned out.

"Why what subject would you like to discuss?"

"The eyes." Naru depaned, getting straight to business as usual. The stupid work-a-holic. _'I swear he's gonna run himself into the ground if he keeps this up!'_ I raged, fighting to keep my annoyance to myself.

"I see, well, what do you wish to know, because although I _am_ a mind reader, I can't use too much of my abilities with the little ones on the way."

"Why don't we start with why you and your decedents have them in the first place?"

"I suppose the beginning is the very best place to start. Let's see, to tell you the truth, these eyes were given to us by Jesus."

"WHAT?!" John asked, jumping out of his seat and looking at Hanayo with wide eyes filled with disbelief. Everyone had flinched away from his outburst since it was so unusual for the priest to do so. Normally he was the calm and peaceful one in the group while the rest of us had outbursts. Minus Naru and Lin that is. Hana seemed to recover from this very quickly and smiled at John.

"Yes, it goes back many centuries. John do you remember the passage where Jesus healed a blind man?" John nodded his head and sat back down with a bright red face as he realized what he had just done. "Well, that was my and Mai's ancestor."

"That doesn't explain the weird things you guys can do." Monk pointed out, making me face-palm at the fact that he couldn't put that much together. Granted, I might have thought that too if I hadn't of been wised up to all of this for the past months that I've been here.

"Well, along with being given the gift of sight we were given the complete gift of sight."

"Huh?" He asked still not getting it.

"I see, so he was then able to see into the future and see apparitions correct?" Naru questioned, making sure that he had all of his facts straight.

"Correct."

"Hold the phone, if that's the case, then why are you Wiccan, shouldn't you be, like, Catholic or something along those lines?" Ayako interjected, bringing up a point that even I questioned at this point in time. After all, this was really my first time hearing the whole story of how the eyes pass down in the family. I mean I have gotten bits and pieces of it throughout the time that I've been with her, but I've never heard the whole story.

"Well, yes, but what happened was that our ancestors were prosecuted as witches because of what we could do and of our strange eyes so many of us were killed off and the remainder that was left, which were three little girls, triplets actually, and were angry with God for not protecting the people that he had gifted and in turn turned their back on him and looked to the one who saved them."

"Who saved them?" Masako asked, with her sleeve covering her mouth, making sure not to give away her expression while her eyes showed that she was definally interested in the story as well.

"An old woman who lived in the forest. She lived away from the other villages and she ended up raising them as her own and that woman was a Wiccan. The little girls then went off into the world and had families of their own. Our clan has always been judged and persecuted by our eyes and our abilities. This is why most of us were killed off. Now all that's left of us is Mai-chan and I with these three soon to add to that count." She explained, rubbing her baby bump lovingly. Izo picked up on this and kissed her on her temple to bring her out of her musings on the past. Her mile widened and she leaned on him a bit looking for a sense of comfort which he happily supplied.

I looked over to Naru to see if he would ask anything else, but he seemed to just nod at this and then focused on eating, showing that the discussion had officially ended and that he had gotten what he needed from her. With that, everyone fell into normal dinner conversations about how life has been and thoughts on the case, filling the dining table with laughter and smiles. Once dinner was over, we all headed off for some much needed sleep since it was close to eleven o'clock after all.

Gene, Yasu, and I ended up going to the room that we were in the first night that the case had started. We talked about how interesting the story was and how I came from such a special back ground when I felt a pain in my chest. I was never one who liked lying, and I defiantly didn't want to lie to my two closest friends. Especially about who I am and where I came from, so I gathered up my courage and became determined with my decision to tell at least them the truth.

"Hey you guys." I said, getting their attention as we got under the covers and became comfortable for bed.

"What's up Mai?" Yasu questioned, shifting to his side so that he could face me since I was sleeping between the two of them.

"Yeah, you've been thinking about something for a while now." Gene added, taking me by surprise at how well these two actually knew me. A small smile came on my face at the fact that they actually noticed my change and it in turn encouraged me to tell them.

"I have a secret to tell you two, and you can't tell anyone else. Also, it might change how you look at me." I added, feeling tightness due to nervousness to what they'll say and how they'll react to the news replacing the pain of lying to them.

"You can tell us anything Mai." Gene said with a serious face that made him look a lot like his brother, minus the gray in his eyes that is.

"Nothing's gonna change the fact that you're you." Yasu supported, grabbing my hand in encouragement to what I was about to say. With that one action all doubts and nervousness fled from my mind and I was filled with instant calm. I took a deep breath and then let it go, allowing me to loosen up just a bit more so that I was ready to tell them.

"Well, I'm actually not blood related to Hanayo, at least I wasn't, but now I am." I said, biting my lip as I let them process what I had just said. Gene's eyes widened significantly while Yasu's became blank. It wasn't until five minutes later that they snapped out of it and actually looked at me.

"Please explain, cause my head is gonna explode if you don't" Yasu said, clutching his forehead to emphasize his point.

"Well, Hanayo became like a mom to me and I became a daughter to her. She found a spell in one of her ancestor's books that could make someone into a blood relation with her. She asked me if I wanted that, and I jumped at the opportunity. Just the fact that I would have blood family that wouldn't leave me made me feel reassured and confident that there would always be someone to turn to when things got rough." I explained, not feeling a shred of regret at all at what I had done, and I knew that deep down if I had to re-due that moment that I would still choose to do that again. Gene seemed to contemplate this and nodded his head in understanding.

"Makes sense." He decreed, stretching this arms up and then letting them drop down to the floor.

"Same here, but why do you need to keep it a secret?" Yasu asked, giving me a curious look as he curled up closer to me so that he could hear me better.

"With all the stress that the triplets are giving her and also having SPR here I don't want Hanayo to have any more stress on her, and knowing the rest of SPR they would jump down my throat for agreeing, and then her's for actually completing the spell." I explained, getting an 'O' face from him.

"Gottcha, well, know that I don't see you any differently then I did when I first met you." Yasu said, yawning at the end of his sentence, while his eyes started to droop due to sleep calling to him.

"Same here." Gene agreed, also yawning and snuggling into the blankets.

"Thanks guys, now let's sleep." I said, but they had already beat me to it , making me smile softly at these two people who I considered to be my brothers. With that cleared up, I closed my eyes and then followed their lead as I went to dream land.

_**I opened my eyes to see that I was inside of a different room then that I fell asleep in. I looked around and saw that it seemed to be a nursery of some sort. The room was a soft pastel mint green and had a soft white carpet. There was a little white bed pushed to the left side of the room that pressed right up against the walls. On the other side there was a pile of toys that ranged from toy cars to stuffed teddy bears with big blue bows tied around their necks. I picked one up and placed in into a suitcase. I didn't exactly know why I was doing this, but I trusted my gut and moved quickly for something bad was going to happen if I didn't.**_

"_**Mama, what are you doing?" a little boy's voice asked. I turned around to see the little boy from my previous dream in the door way. He couldn't have been more than three years old. He was dressed in a blue onesy and held a worn-out, and obviously loved, purple blanket in his left hand.**_

"_**Getting ready to leave." I replied, closing up the suitcase and grabbing a jacket for the little boy. He looked up at me with a puzzled expression, and tilted his head to the side.**_

"_**Why?"**_

"_**Because if we don't then bad things will happen." I answered, putting him inside of his coat, and then lifting him up into one of my arms while the other grabbed the suitcase full of his and my belongings.**_

"_**What about Papa?" he asked, making my blood run cold at just the mention of that man. However, I didn't let it show and instead put on a smile to calm the boy.**_

"_**Papa will be okay." **_

"_**Okay." He said, seeming to take my response as an appropriate answer. **_

_**I quickly snuck down the stairs and checked to see if his truck was in the driveway, and luckily it wasn't. As fast as I could, I tightened my hold on the boy and ran off into the woods. As I made my way to the forest, I was extremely careful not to let any of the dog bark and alert anyone that something was going on, but once I made it to the actual woods, I sprinted as fast and far as I could to get some major distance done before **__**HE**__** came home and found us missing. I didn't even want to think about what he would do if he found us. **_

_**I had made some pretty good distance and I stopped once I got to a clearing with a large tree in the center. I put the boy down and he sat under the tree and took a little nap, figuring that we were stopping for now. Seeing his peaceful face, I sat down next to him and brought him into my arms and held him so that he could sleep comfortably. Without me knowing it, I had dozed off myself, and I didn't reawake until I heard the howling of a dog. Immediately I shot up and checked to see if the boy was okay as well as to see if the surroundings were clear.**_

_**Quickly I scooped up the boy, grabbed our bags, and then went to make a run for it, but it was too late. Before I could take a step, a dog came shooting out and blocked our path. I let out a shriek and held the boy closer to my chest to try and protect him. Before I knew it, four more dogs had joined the first and now made a circle around me. I had backed away from them all up until I had my back up against the tree.**_

"_**You Fucking WHORE! Where the hell do you think you're going?!" a voice boomed, waking up the little boy, and officially marking the end of it all. The man that I had seen so many times in my dreams appeared, and came stocking over to me. I held the child even closer to me, and I tried to use my boy as a shield to protect him. He reached a hand out to try and take the boy, but I curled around the child as much as I could.**_

"_**Sto-" but before I could finish my sentence I was slapped across the face. I was so shocked what had happened that I didn't notice that the boy was taken from my arms until the weight of his body was gone from my arms and I saw the child looking at me fearfully from his spot in his father's arms.**_

"_**No! Give him back!" I cried reaching out for him, only to be stopped by a growl from the dogs, reminding me of their presence.**_

"_**Mama?" The boy asked, reaching out to me when all of a sudden the man took a rag and placed it to the child's mouth. The boy passed out in a matter of seconds and went limp within the man's strong arms.**_

"_**WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" I shrieked, lunging to try and get him into my arms, only to end up getting punched in the gut and then falling to the ground. I coughed for a moment, and a hacking sound could be heard. The next thing I noticed was the taste of rust in my mouth. I looked down to see that the man had hit me so hard that he made me cough up blood.**_

"_**You're just a bitch. A female dog in heat that will do anything to be satisfied, even if it means betraying your husband." He grabbed my hair and pulled my head up so that I was eye level with him. "You're just as pitiful as a dog, and you deserve a dog's death." With that said, he shoved me down to the trunk of the tree and then whistled to the dogs. The dogs responded by growling again and then came closer to me. Immediately I knew what was going to happen. Though, it was to be expected. Bad dogs were punished, punished by death. I closed my eyes then and looked up at the sky, seeing that it was a clear night and the moon was full, it would be a perfect sight for me to end my life with. I felt pain rip through me, as one of the dogs bit my arm. I pulled so that I could still see the stars, finding that they would be my only refuge from this hell. One after another the bites came, but still I refused to move. It was only when one bit my neck that I decided to say a prayer. A prayer that my little boy would be safe and that I could be with him again soon.**_

I shot up from my spot in bed and panted heavily. I had felt death before, but nothing that long, drawn-out, and painful. During the Urado case at least it had been quick, but with the dogs, it was an endless hell.

"Mai, are you alright?" a voice asked, causing my head to shoot up, only to see Hanayo still in her kimono looking at me worriedly.

"Just another dream." I replied, trying to shake it off, but the things I saw and felt would not go away.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She offered, but I only shook my head in response. Talking about it will only make me relive it, and I need to tell Naru what happened, so I would like to talk about it as little as possible. "I see." A moment had passed, and I had started to calm down a bit when I felt the atmosphere in the room change a little bit. "Hey Mai?" She asked, smiling softly at me with a glint of deviousness shining in her eyes.

"What?" I asked, getting a feeling that I shouldn't have asked. My feeling was only proven right when he smile widened and devilish aura around her increased, causing me to shrink in her presence.

"How about taking a walk to this troublesome house of ours?"

**Me: I hope you liked it!**

**Mai: This one was a longer one too.**

**Naru: Whatever.**

**Gene: Joy kill.**

**Me: Anyway, PLEASE REVIEW! XD**


	27. The Ghost's True Nature

**Me: Hi again!**

**Naru: What's with you posting new stories when you haven't even finished this one?**

**Me: I get writers block for one story and then I write another to help me through it.**

**Naru: Idiot. Finish one before you start another one.**

**Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah. *rolls eyes***

**Mai: Silver doesn't own Ghost Hunt. Please R&R! XD**

**Mai's POV:**

"Remind me again why we came here?" I asked Hanayo as we now stood in front of the house that was currently being inhabited by a deadly spirit. I was still puzzled as to why she had such a strong urge to go, despite being pregnant and her husband forbidding her going, but once this woman has made up her mind it's almost impossible for her to back out. Despite the risks that may follow it. In response she just turned around to face me and gave one of her trademark smiles.

"Because I wanted to see and feel firsthand how bad it really is here."

"Why does it matter so much? Isn't it just an abandoned house in the neighborhood?" I asked, not really understanding why she would risk putting herself and the triples in unnecessary danger that they could easily avoid. It was also very much out of her character since she usually is extremely protective and cautious of anyone she cares about and children. Especially when it was about her soon-to-be-born children. A soft look came over her face as she touched the front door to the house.

"Well, yes it is, but I have some history here." I gave her a confused look, trying to convey to her through actions that I didn't understand, and she laughed in response. "This house wasn't always abandoned. A family used to live her when I was a little girl. One day however, they disappeared and no one has ever heard from them." She explained, opening up the door and walking inside. Something told me that it was okay for now, but I still had a bad feeling, so I quickly followed her and stuck by her side like glue. She looked around and her eyes landed on a broken picture frame that had the top half of the picture torn off. A dazed look came over her as if she was reminiscing about something from the past.

"Did you know the family well?" I asked, curious as to why a torn picture could cause a reaction like that to come from her. She snapped out of her daze and put the picture back on a side table where it belonged and turned back to me.

"Yes, there was a couple and they had a little boy a year older than me. His name was Kiku. Kiku and I used to play together all the time. Every day we would meet up and then go play at my house or his. Sometimes even the park depending if one of our parents would come with us. His mom, Nana, usually did that job. She was a very kind woman and very beautiful as well. I often considered her my second mother. His father on the other hand scarred me a bit." She said, reminiscing about the old days that she spent with her friend. She walked over to the next room and looked out the sliding glass doors with a look of mixed emotions. Curious as to what she was looking at, I came up behind her and looked out as well and saw that she was looking at the back yard. The same place where all of the dogs used to be tied up. Quickly, I shook the image that was burned into my memory from my mind and focused back to trying to know more about Hanayo's connection to the house.

"Why is that?" When I asked her that, a frown set itself upon her face as a hardened gaze scanned the yard. She was quiet for a while, and I was positive that she wasn't going to say anything, so when she did, it made me jump a bit in surprise.

"He was always training dogs for some reason. One day, when I was maybe four, I went over to one of them to pet them, but just before I did he snatched me by the wrist and jerked me away from them and then proceeded to yell at me. His mother came out and got me away from him, but not before I saw him slap her. I stayed as far away from that man ever since. About a year later, Nana disappeared and all of the dogs were sold. Kiku said that she ran away, and that his father wanted to focus on spending more time with his son. We still continued to play, but not as often for his father started to monopolize him. A couple years later and they both just disappeared out of thin air without a trace or word to anyone." A look of regret washed its way upon her face, and for that moment it seemed as if she aged a lot. She was no longer the young woman who enjoyed life to the fullest, but was now a woman who had seen and been through things that have helped make her grow and fill her with wisdom. To say that it worried me would be accurate, but there are sometimes where she gets like this, and there is always a good reason for it. Thus I left her alone with it, and focused instead on what she told me. For some reason it sounded familiar, but I just couldn't really remember from where, but then it clicked.

"That kinda sounds like the dream I just had." I mumbled, thinking back to how the mother died and then the father told the son to listen to him and only him and that his mother had abandoned him when in reality she was murdered. This little comment caught her attention, and her expression quickly changed from one of regret to curiosity.

"Speaking of which, what was it about?" she asked, changing the topic from her relations to the case onto my relations with it. I was caught slightly off guard by her question since she normally just reads my mind to find out what I saw, so it was unusual for her to ask me to tell her about it. It took a moment for me to recall it all and then another moment to get myself to actually explain the dream.

"It was about this woman. She was packing things away into a suitcase and then her son came into the room. She got him dressed and they ran to the back yard to escape from the house, but they had to be careful not to get caught or to alert the dogs. She ran and ran, and finally came to this huge tree. She rested and accidently took a nap. When she woke up, she was caught by a man that I've seen repeatedly in my dreams already. He took the boy away from her and then got the dogs on her and she died praying for her son to be alright and looking up at the starry night sky." I said, still feeling the terror and pain of the woman's final moments before she passed on to the next world, where ever it may be. Everything was silent for a while, and just before I asked if something was wrong, her voice filled the air to continue the conversation.

"I-I see. What did the boy look like?"

"I don't really remember. It's all one big haze. I remember what happened, and if I saw a picture of him I could tell you so, but I can't really make it all out since it was pretty dark when it happened." I looked over at her and saw that she looked kind of pale and a worried look came over her features. Without thinking I put my hand on her shoulder that snapped her out of her daze and she looked up at me in surprise. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, did you see what the woman looked like then?" She said, still having wide eyes that reflected the shakiness in her voice. Although I was curious as to what was wrong, I used my better judgment and just let it go.

"No, I was actually playing her role as the dream played out like in the Urado case I told you about before."

"Oh."

"I did have another dream where a woman was hanging on the _'Murder Tree'_ during the case." I said, deciding that it would be best to try and avoid awaked silences as best as possible. Not only were they uncomfortable, but in this situation, it made it ten times creepier then it already was.

"What did she look like?" She asked, her eyes wide with a fear that I didn't understand.

"Well, she had long auburn hair fell in soft waves down her back, and her eyes were green and she seemed pretty friendly. Oh, and I also got this from her." I said, rising up my hand so that she could see the ring that I had pulled out of the dream realm and into reality. She stood there in silence, and then reached out to touch the ring, but she pulled back and brought her hand to her mouth. A sad look came over her face, and she then pet her head hang there for a moment.

"We should head back." She said, her voice sounding depressed. She turned away from me and then started to head back to the front door in a slow zombie- like state.

"Uh, okay."

I began to follow her to the front door, trying to figure out what exactly made her react that way. All of a sudden, I bumped into something and I looked up to see that that something was Hanayo's back. Before I could ask what she was doing, a growl was heard, making my head snap up in an instant. I was immediately met face-to-face with the dog from hell from the vision I had. The memories of being killed by it still haunted me, but we had bigger things to worry about then some dream I had.

"Oh Gods!" I exclaim, unsure of what to do since the bloodthirsty spirit has show its self to us and was the only thing standing between them and the safety of being outside. Before I could really think of anything to do, Hanayo took a step forward towards the beast. "Hanayo, what are you doing?!" I asked, questioning her sanity for what she was doing. I didn't get a response, but she took another step, and then another, and another until she was right in front of the dog. Then she kneeled down and smiled kindly at the spirit that bared its fangs to her.

"Hello again, Kiku." The dog then stops and looks up at here confused. She giggled at this as she watched it sit down and watch her. "Here, maybe this will help." She said, taking her hair and putting it up into pigtails. The dog's eyes widened, and then a fire broke out around it. Once the fire died down, instead of a dog there, in its place was a little boy no older than eight years old.

"Hanayo?" he asked, looking at her closely to see if she was real or not. She simply nodded her head, and then the little boy hurled himself into her arms and started crying hysterically. "Hanayo I've missed you so much!"

While this was going on, I was completely confused and surprised by the outcome of this encounter. From what I was gathering, the dog that was attacking and killing all of the girls is actually a little boy who was one of Hanayo's childhood friends before he went missing along with the rest of his family. My mind was swirling with this new information, and I didn't have any idea what was going on until the little boy addressed me.

"Who are you?" he asked, eyeing me carefully as he gripped onto Hana's shirt as if it were his life line, even if he was already dead.

"My name is Mai, I'm also a friend of Hanayo's." I said, deciding that it would be okay to tell him at least that much. "Are you the one that's been hurting all of those girls?" I asked, wanting to get a confirmation on it so that I could figure out the root problem in this case and actually be of more use in the solving process besides just my dreams. Kiku looked down at the ground and began to tremble. It was then that I realized that he was an innocent little kid and nothing more than that, which made me even more curious as to why he would do something like killing people.

"Yes." He finally responded, making my heart ache at the hopelessness and shame that was evident within his voice.

"Why did you do that?" Hana asked in a tender, loving voice, holding him close to her to show that she wasn't angry, but just wanted to know why.

"Because Papa said that I couldn't see Mama unless I did what he said." We both froze in that instant when we heard those words leave his lips. Hana looked up at me as her grip on her childhood friend tightened.

"What do you mean?" Hanayo asked, looking back at him carefully, not wanting to cause Kiku anymore pain then he has already endured.

"Mama is hidden somewhere, and I can't find her anywhere. All I want is to hug her again." He said, burring his head into Hana's shoulder and crying once more.

My heart ached at what I saw, and I couldn't understand how anyone could do this to a child, their own child no less. Anger over took me, and it took all my control not to punch a wall, but I restrained myself since that would only frighten him and possibly alert his father of our presence, if he didn't already know that it, and instead I opted for balling my hands up into fists to help contain my raging emotions.

"That's unforgiveable." I said, letting pure hatred for Kiku's father show through clearly in my voice.

"Mai?" Hanayo asked, looking up at me cautiously, most likely wondering if I was going to lose it and cause a bigger mess for ourselves.

"Using your mother as a threat over you is cowardly. I swear that I'll reunite you two together. Then you can cross over and be happy." I promised, knowing that I had to do it with every fiber of my being agreeing with me.

"Really?" He asked in a whisper, looking up at me with large, hopeful, bright, green eyes. I nodded and then kneeled down so that I was on the same level as him and held my pinky out to him.

"Yeah, it's a promise."

"Okay, then I'll help you, and try and keep you safe from Papa." He said holding his pinky out. A smile came onto my lips at this and I nodded back to him.

"Alright then, it's a deal." I said, sealing the promise with a pinky-swear. Immediately when our pinky's crossed, the house began to shake and rattle violently. Then banging soon followed it as doors opened and closed as well as scratching on the walls and howling filled the room.

"Quick, you need to leave!" Kiku then turned back into his dog form and pushed them to the front door while keeping an eye out for anything to attack us.

Hanayo nodded and then grabbed my hand as we ran out the door. Immediately when we got out, the door slammed shut and we picked ourselves off from the ground trying to get our bearings back from what had just happened.

"Well that was close." I stated, laying back onto the ground as my breathing calmed down.

"Yeah, but at least we know who the ghosts are now and why two of the three are here." Hana said, picking herself off of the ground and then rubbing her stomach lovingly, showing that she and the babies were okay.

"True." I agreed, following her example and picking myself off of the ground, even though I just wanted to lay there and sleep until the group came tomorrow. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I staggered to balance myself as I heard Hana gasp catching my attention.

"Oh goodness." She said, stepping back over toward me and taking my hand. I gave her a confused look and then looked over to where her gaze was caught, not seeing anything at first.

"What-, oh not again!" I said, seeing what it was that startled her, while I just got fed up with everything that's been going on. For there, on the front door, in plain sight for anyone to see, was another message to me written in, surprise, surprise, blood.

"_Your end is near little witch."_

**Me: Well, there's the story with who the ring leader of the ghosts is.**

**Naru: Now all that's left is for you to report it to me and then we can solve this case.**

**Mai: Or not.**

**Naru: What?**

**Me: Please Review! XD**


	28. Explanations, Danger, Blood, and Limits

**Me: Hi, sorry this took so long. I was nearly finished with this, this weekend, however, I had major computer issues and I nearly lost all of my stories and works! 0_o**

**Mai: Luckily your dad is awesome and helped you back up your stories, pictures, and music so that if things went capluie then you would still be okay.**

**Me: Yeah, which is why I dedicate this chapter to him since he helped me save it! ^-^**

**Naru: Idiot, how did you break your computer?**

**Me: I didn't do it!**

**Gene: Please R&R! XD**

**Mai's POV:**

"Mai, it's time to wake up!" was the first thing I heard on another day with the SPR gang back in my life. I cracked open one eye and saw Yasu grinning down at me as if it Christmas and the was a little boy that wanted to run downstairs and open up the presents that Santa left him the night before. In response to this, I just groaned and turned over onto my other side, hoping that he'll get the message and let me sleep a little bit longer. Unfortunately, he either didn't pick up on it or he didn't care, for he simply tugged away my covers making me shiver at the sudden cold air.

"What the hell Yasu?" I said, giving in and getting up from my comfy spot. He sent me a smile which I matched with a glare.

"Well, big boss said to get you up, so I got you up." He explained, making my blood boil. Deciding that it would be best to spare Yasu, I headed for the kitchen where the real culprit was.

"What the hell Naru? What's so important that you needed Yasu, of all people, to wake me up?" I asked, ranting to him as I barged right on through the kitchen doorway. Everyone was already dressed and prepared for the day, while I was still in my p.j.'s and most likely had a very messy bed head. They all looked at me in surprise at my outburst, and probably my lack of cloths since I was only wearing a cami and pair of soffie's.

"It's nearly noon Mai, do you expect to sleep the day away?" he asked, making me aware for the first time how late it actually was. However, it really didn't matter to me at the moment due to the bear that I was in the morning when someone woke me from my sleep.

"Well _sorry_ for having a damn dream about the stupid case and not being able to fall back asleep until it was 4 o'clock in the freaking morning!" I raged, throwing my hands up into the air in the heat of the moment and also allowing them to fall onto the table and make a loud bang. Everyone seemed to shrink back away from me, and I wondered why until I realized that my eyes must have turned black yet again. Taking a deep breath, I calmed down a bit and met Naru with a steady gaze.

"So you had a dream?" he asked, completely disregarding my little episode and instead focusing completely on work. Lin picked up on this and brought out his laptop and prepared to type up whatever it was that I dreamed so that Naru could look it over and use it to further out investigation. I sighed and shook my head at this, but decided to oblige him since it would help the case after all.

"That's what I said genius." I snapped, deciding that I would annoy him in the same fashion that he usually did me. However, he sent me a glare, and although I'm not afraid of them, I decided that it would be better to just not get on his bad side so early in the morning and start a fight that would last the rest of the day. After all, we had plenty of time for that later, so I just sighed and ran a hand through my hair. "The woman from before, I saw her whole death."

"You mean the one you got the ring from?" Monk asked, looking at me with a confused expression as he eyed the ring that was on my finger.

"Yep."

"But didn't you already see her death?" Ayako asked, seeming just as confused as Monk if not more so. Other members of the team had similar expressions on their faces and I sighed realizing that I would have quite a bit of explaining to do for this team of mine.

"Yeah, but I saw what she did that made her be killed." I explained, getting the 'Oh' face from a majority of the group.

"Explain." Naru demanded, giving me a cold glare so that I wouldn't argue, but that only made my anger for him rise with the early morning sun.

"Yes, _your Majesty._" I said, rolling my eyes at his all work and no play tone. "She was planning on leaving her husband with her son that day, but ended up getting caught and, well, you know the rest."

"What happened to the boy?"Gene asked, taking a sip of coffee as he watched me from the seat next to his brother.

"He was knocked out before the mother was killed. Which does explain why in the dream before this one he asked the father when the mother was coming back." I stated, putting two and two together.

"And when exactly was this dream?" Naru asked with a tone that ment that he probably already knew, but he wanted me to confirm it so that he could scold me about it without me turning him into a bad guy. Sighing, I gave into the demand and looked him straight in the eyes as I gave him my answer.

"When I fell asleep in base yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell us that information then?"

"Hmmm, maybe because I was too busy saving your sorry asses and explaining my abilities?" I offered, only getting an evil glare from Naru.

"She does have a point." Hanayo said, chiming in as she passed me a plate with waffles covered in syrup and strawberries and a glass of milk, which I gladly accepted and began to dig into. "And at least you know now." She threw out there, yawning and then sitting down besides me.

"Long night?" Izo asked, going over to her and rubbing her back. She leaned into the touch and sighed contently.

"Yeah, the little ones would just not settle down."

"Maybe you should rest in bed then today."

"Maybe, maybe not. Depends on what happens today and what Madoka has planned." She said, throwing a look over at Madoka who had a pondering look on her face. She then nodded and smiled over at Hanayo.

"I can reschedule today's activities for a movie marathon."

"Sounds good to me. Now then, Mai, go get ready while the others go over their game plan for today." I nodded my head and she sighed and got up from her spot. "Well then I will leave the rest to all of you. Have a good day and be careful." With that she went up the stairs as I put my dishes in the sink and then proceeded to go up the stairs to go get dressed for yet another day.

When we arrived at the house I was put back onto the girl's team that went around patrolling the house, but with no activity going at that moment we wound up right on back at base with everyone else. It was all like how it usually was.

Monk and Ayako were arguing about something petty, and as always there were jabs about Ayako's age from Monk which resulted in him getting a purse right in the face, while John tried to break it up to no avail. I seriously wonder when Ayako is going to finally get so fed up with his insults to her age and abilities that she'll aim her attacks below the belt. If you know what I mean. Lin was over by the table that we set up, watching the video feed and listening to the audio. Of course Naru was doing what he did twenty-four/seven and had his nose buried in his work while ignoring Masako as she threw glances at him from her spot on the couch, hoping that he will notice or throw one of his own her way. Then there was Gene and Yasu who were talking about random stuff and trying their hardest not to suck face and let their relationship be exposed to the other members of SPR.

'_Yep, just your typical base set up.'_ I thought, observing everyone from my spot on the arm of the loveseat that Yasu and Gene shared. As I was looking around, it became apparent to me that everyone was caught up in their own thing that they didn't even notice what was going on around them. In all honesty, I could probably sneak out of the room and no one would notice. Maybe Lin would, but only because he saw me on the one of the cameras. _'Actually, that didn't sound like too bad of an idea. The worst that will happen will be that I'll be scolded at for leaving the room. Even then, I've proven that I can take care of myself thanks to the knives. Plus, Kiku said that he would try and help if I got into trouble, so I should be just fine!'_

With that, I slowly got up from my spot and made my way over to the door, being extremely careful not to draw any attention to myself. So far everything was good and no one had notice my advances to freedom. I had finally made it to my destination, and then the hardest part to the mission came up: Opening the door without having anyone notice the obvious movement. Slowly, I twisted the handle and began to pull the door towards me. I stopped everyone in a while, making sure that no one had noticed, and when I was sure that I was fine, I pulled another couple of inches and repeated the process. Finally when I had enough room to wiggle out of the room, I took the opportunity and slipped out unnoticed and carefully closed the door so that it didn't make a sound.

I was extremely proud of myself for being able to sneak out like that; however, a part of me was also upset by the fact that no one paid any attention to me. _'Whatever, time to have a look around on my own.' _ I thought, shaking the depressing thoughts out of my head and instead focused on seeing if I could find anything to help the case. Unfortunately, I came upon a few issues.

One of which we the cameras and microphones set up all over the place. I couldn't be seen or heard on one or else they would know I left, and then I would have not only failed in my ninja attempt, but I would also be given one hell of a talking to which I did NOT want any part of. Another was the fact that we had already checked all over the house and we had found nothing at all, so there was really nothing for me to discover. When I had finally gone to all the places that I could I finally admitted that there was nothing here that would help me minus the actual spirits here. Sighing, I decided to go back to the base and slip in just as I had slipped out.

As I was walking back, I came to a bathroom, and realized that I hadn't gone that day and that my bladder was ready to _EXPLODE_! _'I'll go back to base, just right after I make a quick pit stop.'_ I quickly made my way into the bathroom, and did my business. Once I was done, I went over to the sink to wash my hands when I felt something cold ghost over me. **(Ghost, hee-hee, get it? ;P)** The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, but as soon as it came it went and the temp changed back to normal. However, when I turned back to the sink, there was yet another pleasant message written in blood on the mirror waiting for me.

'_Little Witch, little BITCH time to DIE!'_

Immediately I backed away from the mirror and ran right into the door. I grabbed for the handle to get out of here, however, it wouldn't turn. I was locked in. Not only that, but I was locked in with a psychopathic ghost who wanted me DEAD! As if that wasn't bad enough, the faucet turned on to full blast and instead of water pouring out of it a metallic sent hit my nose and I knew exactly what it was, blood.

Without another moment of hesitation, I began to pound on the door since I knew that this was above my abilities. Give me a dream or a vision and I can do wonders, but my warding magick is still weak even with my new abilities. I felt the crimson liquid slowly climbing up as it over flowed from the sink. It was then that I realized that the thing planed to drown me and create a bloody mess, _literally!_ As I continued to pound on the door, I began to curse myself for not having anyone go with me, or at least telling someone where I was headed. Maybe then I wouldn't be in this mess. The blood was now up to my waist and panic began to set in. I felt every nerve ending in my body shoot up with a red flag telling me that if I didn't get out of this soon then I would die.

Before I knew it, I was treding in the blood, doing whatever I could to keep my head above the liquid as it climbed up to the ceiling. Unfortunately there was nothing that I could do, but bang on the door and pray that someone got to me in time. Finally, the blood had reached the top of the ceiling and I was completely submerged under the blood. My lungs burned from the lack of oxygen and when they couldn't take it anymore I opened my mouth and got a breath full of the stuff as I called for the one person that normally always saved me.

"NARU!"

**Gene's POV:**

Yasu and I were wandering the halls, trying to find where Mai had run off to. We first realized that she had disappeared when we asked her a question and realized that she hadn't answered. There was no way that she would tell anyone else that she was leaving without telling us first, so we assumed that she had escaped without anyone knowing. We quickly followed suit and began our search for her since she was the most danger prone and the biggest ghost magnet on the planet despite the abilities that she had gained.

"Where could she be?" Yasu asked, throwing me a worried look as he peaked into yet another room, only for it to turn up empty.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about it." I said, not liking the fact that we had yet to find her. Something was wrong, very wrong, but I just couldn't find out what it was. Just as we were about to turn back and see if she had returned to the base while we were out, there was a banging that stopped us in our tracks.

"Did you hear that?" Yasu asked, gripping onto my sleeve as he glanced around our surroundings carefully. I nodded my head and listened for the sound again. When we heard it, I slowly made my way to a closed door and checked it out from the outside to see if it was safe or not. Before I could reach for the handle Yasu yelped and fell onto his butt.

"What is it?" I asked, turning to him in fear that something had happened to him. His face was pale and a sweat began to break out as he trembled with fear. He slowly raised a shaking hand to the bottom of the door and tried to get his voice to speak, only to no avail. I looked over to where he was pointing and saw what had gave him such a fright. There was a pool of blood that was slowly growing at beneath the door.

Automatically, I flung to the door and tried to open it, only to find that it was jammed or locked. Not wasting any time, I backed up and kicked the door down, sending an entire room's worth of blood spilled out of there, carrying an unconscious Mai with it. Fear picked at me as I went and checked her vitals. Luckily she still had a heart beat and she had coughed up the blood that was in her lungs which then leveled out her breathing.

Carefully I picked her up and sent Yasu a look that snapped him out of his shock. He quickly went off in the direction of base as I began carrying Mai down the steps and out the door straight to Hana's since that was the only safe place for her now. Hopefully Yasu knew to tell the team to meet us there, but I put that to the back of my mind as I focused on the bloody girl in my arms. She seemed to be unharmed, but that didn't settle the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach. If anything it worsened it. Something bad was going to happen, something worse than this, and I know that whatever it is, it's going to happen to Mai.

**Mai's POV:**

"_When do you think she'll wake up?" _Was the first thing that I heard when I started to come to. At first I questioned what it was, but soon I realized that it was the voice of someone on the team. Monk maybe?

"_Soon, rather than later."_ Said a female voice, I immediately knew as Hanayo. However, I didn't understand what they were saying. Who is it that they're waiting for to wake up?

"_What was she thinking going off by herself?"_ Another female voice asked. It took me a while, but I realized that it was Ayako. _'Is the whole gang here?'_ I questioned, focusing in on my hearing as my other senses started to activate yet again.

"_She had to go to the bathroom, what else do you expect?" _A different male voice asked, making me want to laugh at the sarcasm that was laced within it. It had to have been Yasu by the tone of his voice.

"_For her to be more careful!"_ Ayako and Monk snapped as I imagined the expressions and actions taking place around me.

"_It's Mai; these are the types of things that she does that creates problems for everyone else."_ A third female voice stated, making my happy mood change in an instant, but also made me realize that they were talking about me. I was the one that they were waiting on. _'But why are they-?' _I questioned, only for the bloody bathroom scene to ply out in my head and remind me why I was in this state of being.

"_Ya know what Masako?" _Gene asked, causing my interest to peak since I already knew that he disliked Masako from the beginning.

"_What is it?"_

"_Shut up and shove any more negative remarks about Mai where the sun don't shine."_ Gene stated, making me laugh and feel protected at the face that he was protecting me. Taking a deep breath, I focused and decided to let the others know of my consciousness.

"Hey you guys." I said, slowly opening my eyes to reveal the entire gang sitting around me and waiting for me to wake up just like sleeping beauty.

"Morning sunshine, how are you doing?" Hanayo asked, sitting down on the side of my bed and reaching out to touch my face in a loving motherly way. I leaned into the touch and found myself warming up and gaining some strength in my limbs at the connection. I nodded my head, but the winced as I pain shot through it.

"My head hurts a bit, but I'm okay." I stated, smiling at them and then slowly sitting up to prove my point. Everyone seemed to be relieved by this and smiled back at me. Minus the dreary trio of Naru, Lin, and the newest member, Masako.

"That's good."

"You gave us quite a scare." Ayako added, sitting down on the other side of my bed.

"Sorry, I'll be more careful next time." I said, feeling the need to kick that stupid thing's ass back for what it tried to do to me. No one seemed to comment on that, which made me curious and look up. Everyone seemed to avoid my gaze, which made me suspicious as to what they were hiding. Finally, Naru looked up from his little black book of death and met my gaze head on.

"Mai, there will be no next time; you're being taken off this case." Naru stated, catching me off guard.

"What! Why?" I asked, jumping out of bed and landing steadily on my two feet, surprised that he was taking me off when we were getting so close to figuring out what was going on. Well, at least I knew what was going on and could help point them in the right direction as to where to look since I _SO_ do _NOT_ want a talking to about sneaking out last night with Hanayo.

"Because this is a dangerous spirit and it's set its sights on you." He elaborated, giving me a 'duh' look, which only infuriated me.

"So, that's happened to me on nearly every case!"I retorted, proving a point that at nearly every case I had, had a near death experience in some shape or form and that this was nothing new to me.

"Mai, this too dangerous and I don't want to risk you getting hurt." He said, making me do a double take at what he had just said, but it quickly passed since my anger at him was more intense then the shock of hearing him admit that he cared about me.

"Why should I believe that you care about my well being?! You didn't even apologize to me for what you did!" I exclaimed, getting into his face so that he could see close up how angry he was making, as well as making a majority of SPR flinch and shy away from me, all except for Naru who didn't even back away from my glare or how close my face was to his. He kept his gaze steady and set on me, however, there was a change in expression

"I know, and I'm sorry."

"Bull." I said, turning away to make my escape when I heard the sound of something dropping to the floor. I turned around to be met with a sight I never thought I would ever see in a million years. There was Naru, the most prideful and narcissistic man in the world, bowing down on his hands and knees with his nose down on the ground.

"Please, forgive me Mai." He begged. I heard the sincerity in his voice, but I couldn't be sure that I was ready to accept it. In confusion, I turned my head away. I know I had said that if he wanted me to come back I would, but he had to ask. As things were now I couldn't forgive him. No matter how much my heart wanted that to be true. With that, I had my answer. At least, I had my answer for now.

"No."

**Me: And you will have to wait and see what happens in the next chapter! ;)**

**Mai: I wonder how Naru's gonna respond to that.**

**Naru: If it were up to me, Mai would be the one apologizing.**

**Mai: Why you-!**

**Me: Please Review, it will take me a while to get the next chapter due to the previous computer issues that I mentioned earlier, but this story should be finished up in about 5-7 more chapters.**


	29. Naru's Challange

**Me: And another chapter is up! ^-^**

**Mai: Yay!**

**Me: Finally summer break is here, and I passed all of my classes!**

**Naru: At least you can do that.**

**Me: Meanie! XP**

**Gene: Please R&R! XD**

**Mai's POV:**

"Mai, what will it take for you to believe that I'm sorry?" Naru asked, shooting up from where he was on the floor, completely taking me by surprise. My resolve had diminished immediately as I saw the fire in his eyes that I've never seen before. It was so intense that I had to look away and backed up a couple of steps.

I never really thought about what I would have him do to apologize for being such a jack ass to me. It was always one of those where I would just accept his apology and go back to work with him if he asked, but now that the time had come and he did apologize, I realized that it wasn't enough. However, I had no answer for him since I don't even know myself. _'Oh, I should have just accepted it from the start, but no, I had to argue with him. Then again he did take me off the case.'_ I countered, feeling my conflicting emotions take over my mind as I tried to come to a conclusion, but only making my head spin as I only furthered my own confusion.

"Well-" I said, not sure at all what to say, but feeling the need to say something.

"Well what?" he snapped, taking a step closer to me and making my head spin even more than it already was.

"Um-" I stuttered, trying to think of anything that would work as a punishment for him. Before they came, and when I had just met Hanayo, I had a whole spiral full of things that he would have to do if he wanted to get me back to work with him or to get any of his precious tea. I had so many ideas, but now, when it really mattered, I couldn't think of a single one. Before I could get another word out to try and prolong my time to think about a suitable request, Hanayo sneezed, taking the tension away as if by magick.

"ACHOO!" She cried, making everyone jump back to look at her and give me more time to come up with a response to Naru's question.

"Bless you Hana." Madoka said, watching as Izo went over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her while checking to see if she had a fever.

"Are you feeling alright? Maybe you should rest. We don't want you catching a cold." He stated, pulling back so that he could get a better look at her. She simply smiled and shook her head as to brush it off as nothing.

"No I'm fine, just dust."

"Anyway Mai, what do I have to do?" Naru asked, bringing us all back to the main topic that everyone was waiting to hear and I had yet to figure out. Nervousness started to bubble in the pit of my stomach as everyone's eyes were on me and waiting for my reply. Shakily, I took a deep breath, and decided to just say something off the top of my head despite how random or stupid it may turn out to be.

"If, if, if," I started, not being able to come up with anything as my mind went blank. For some reason, my eyes instantly went to Hanayo and I saw her doing some hand motions. She was pretending to write something on her hand and then pointed to her chest. I threw her a confused look, not quite getting what it was that she was trying to say, which resulted in me getting an eye roll from her. Then she pointed to her heart and wrote Mai over it with her finger. Suddenly it made sense and I remembered one of the many things I had written down on that long list of mine. "If you want me to forgive you, then get my name or something that reminds you of me tattooed right over your heart." I stated, looking fiercely at his surprised eyes. There was silence in the room and you could almost hear that little cricket going off like it does in the t.v. shows and movies.

"Mai, where in the world did that come from?" He asked, getting over the shock of my request and started to rub his temples to relieve some of the pressure that I was putting on him.

"Well, if anything, it'll be a constant reminder of me where ever you go, and won't be something that you can lose. Also, if you ever get it removed, then you'll physically feel the equivalent of my emotional pain." I explained, trying to make sense to everyone else why it held such a significance to me. Silence once again filled the room as we all waited for his response. He sighed and looked away from me, but he did have a pondering look placed upon his features.

"I see. I'll have to think about it. Is there any other way?" He asked, looking up at me pleadingly. My heart clenched at the sight of this, but I held me ground and pulled up another one of the things on my list for him to do. Luckily I remembered most of them thanks to Hanayo's quick reminder.

"Other then thirty years and a day of not leaving Japan and staying with SPR, then no."

"Mai you can't truly expect Oliver to do something that stupid to his body do you?" Masako asked, butting into our conversation. For some reason, my tolerance level was just not up to par at this moment, and extreme anger rose within me.

"Stay out of it. You already are dancing on my last nerve, so just. Butt. Out! It has nothing to do with you." I stated, turning to leave the room and get some much needed air to help cool me down. There was no point in getting into a petty fight with Masako. I know that, but if she provoked me anymore, then a fight would become inevitable, and if we did manage to avoid a fight this time, something tells me that next time there will be no choice to avoid it and the claws will come out.

"Why don't you stop acting like such a spoiled brat?" She snapped, making me stop in my tracks from my retreat. All thoughts of stopping before a fight broke out flew out the window. She had the nerve to call me a brat? She's the fucking definition of the damn word! If you looked up brat, stuck-up, and/or bitch in the dictionary, I'm pretty sure that you would see her picture under the caption.

"I'm the spoiled brat? I wasn't the one using black mail to get a date." I reminded, shooting her a glare in which she took a step back from. At this point in time, I didn't care if I started to scare people. Nor did I care if my eyes turned completely black and I looked like I was being possessed by a demon. She surprisingly met my gaze and held it steady as she retook her step and moved forward to me giving off an air of confidence that she would win our little battle of words. However, it didn't really show too much since I could tell that she was trembling thanks to my wonderful eyesight.

"All is fair in love and war."

"Not when you're pushing away the one you love!"

"You're such a child! I can find it so hard to believe that you haven't matured at all since you left SPR. Maybe you really should stay here in the country where stupid girls have it easier then out in the city at Shibuya." She said, making me mentally take a step back at what she said. Naru always teased me for being childish and being stupid, and at the thought of always being at each other's throats all the time made me want to actually stay here instead of go back to where I came from in the city.

"I am NOT a child! And who knows, maybe I'll stay in the country, or maybe I'll go back to the city." I said, letting my emotions get the better of me and voice how much this was actually affecting me.

"If you go back then you'll only be a hindrance to us. You always were and always will be. You were nothing but trouble from the first day we met you, so do us all a favor and just stay Hanayo's and don't come back to Shibuya!"

"Fine! I won't be in your way anymore. Good day and good riddance!" I exclaimed, quickly rushing out of the room to end the argument and also to make it so that I had the last word. There were footsteps behind me, but I paid no mind to them as I quickly headed outside to cool down and to let myself escape from reality. The words that were said began to run through my head, and I started to regret how caught up I had gotten in the argument and at what I had said. I found myself by the hammock Hanayo and I had set up last month and decided to sit in it since I doubted that my legs could handle my weight any longer than they already have with all of the excitement that had happened within the last half hour. The sound of footsteps returned, and when I looked up, I was surprised to see that it was Gene, Yasu, and John who had followed me out here and hunted me down.

"Mai!" Gene cried, wrapping me up into one of his hugs as he sat down next to me. As much as I wanted to lean into the hug and let what happened fade away as I pretended that none of the argument happened, I couldn't give in and show my weakness to them, but I also couldn't push him away, so I just settled for letting him hold me while being like a life-sized, lifeless doll.

"What do you want?" I asked, not wanting to hear excuses for what happened in there and pleas for me to stay and rejoin SPR. In all honesty, all I want is for all of this to disappear and have this case be over so that I could just go back to how things were before all this started to happen and put all this behind me.

"We want to talk." Yasu replied, taking a seat on the other side of me, that his boyfriend wasn't currently occupying, and wrapped his arm around me. Again, I just wanted to give in and be comforted, but my pride wouldn't let me, so I shook both of them off.

"Why, I'm just a hindrance after all."

"No you're not." John stated, giving me a strong look that I haven't often seen from the priest. Normally he was sweet, gentle, and passive; however, as of now he has a very strong presence that makes it so that you can't really ignore him or what he's saying. _'Geez, where is this when he's trying to calm down Ayako and Monk from fighting. If he does this, then I'm sure they would listen to him right away.'_ I thought, slightly wondering why it was that he hasn't tried this trick on them as of yet.

"Oh yeah? Then why didn't anyone stand up for me when Masako ran her mouth? Why didn't anyone look me in the eyes as she spoke? Why didn't anyone come and save me before it got to this?" I asked, finally breaking down and letting the solid walls I built up around me break and crumble to the ground.

All I could do from there was sob as the questions, insecurities, and tears came out, showing just how weak and torn apart I really was behind this mask that I had put up. _'Looks like I'm more like Naru then I first thought.'_ I realized, seeing that we both had masks to hide how we really felt about things. I felt embraces from all three guys, and this time I actually gave in and welcomed them and the comfort they provided for me. We stayed like that until the sobs stopped and all that was left was sniffling. They then pulled away, giving me much needed breathing space so that I could truly calm down.

"Mai." Gene began, rubbing my back as I started to tame my haywire emotions. I looked up at him hopelessly and he smiled back at me warmly. I felt Yasu put his hand on my shoulder, which drew my attention to him as he took his turn to try and get me to a stable emotion.

"Mai, listen. We love you. All of SPR loves you. We would have been at your door in less than a millisecond if only we hadn't have listened to Masako."

**Me: And here I leave with another cliffhanger. ;)**

**Mai: But, but, but-**

**Naru: Spit it out Mai.**

**Mai: THE DRAMA!**

**Naru: Child**

**Gene: Please review! XD**


	30. Masako's Plan Uncovered

**Me: HI EVERYBODY~! XD**

**Naru: You're too loud.**

**Golden Moon Crescent: HI SIS~! XD**

**Me: GOLDY! XD *Jumps and hugs Goldy***

**Gene: Who is she?**

**Me: My twin.**

**Naru: But you two don't look anything alike.**

**Me&Goldy: Shut up, who cares.**

**Gene: I don't know Noll, I can kinda see the resemblance.**

**Naru: Are you blind? They look nothing alike. One is pale as the moon and the other is tan like the sun.**

**Me: Details, details.**

**Goldy: It doesn't matter.**

**Naru: But it does matter!**

**Gene: Meh whatever, please R&R as we figure out what to do with the twins.**

**Mai's POV:**

"What are you two talking about?" I asked, not quite getting what they were saying. What part did Masako have in this besides being an absolute bitch that I just want to strangle, but can't because it would make Naru hate me.

"Everyone wanted to go and see you as soon as Naru left, but Masako said that it would be better to leave you alone. Apparently since you two had become friends you told her that you greave better when you're alone." Yasu explained, making my head swim at this new information.

I looked back into my memories to see if I had ever said anything like that to try and appear tough and stronger then I actually was, but I couldn't come up with anything. That and also Masako and I were not what you would call friends. After the Urado case we were more civil to one another, but we were still rivals and nowhere near becoming friends. I took a moment to think, and I guessed that it could have been seen as being friends, but it could have been farther from the truth.

"That's not true. Also I never told Masako that ever. In fact, I wouldn't even call us friends." I stated, surprised by how this all started to come into place. My mind began to work double time as different ideas and theories formed with in my head and played out, trying to match the best one with what exactly happened to me and the gang which resulted in me leaving SPR not all that long ago.

"Seriously? All of us were dying to go see you, but Masako kept saying not to since it would only upset you more." Yasu said with his voice full of shock. I looked up at John and saw him nod his head with a confused look placed clearly on his face.

"No, like I said, I was waiting for you to come get me. Finally I realized, or thought I realized that you all forgot about me and didn't care." I elaborated, making sure that they knew exactly what my train of thought was at the time.

"Mai, seriously, we would never abandon you unless you told us too. In fact I don't even think we could do that then." Yasu stated, making me smile at how much these people cared about me. I truly was blessed and loved, even if it took me a while to realize it myself.

"Also, why did you wait for us and not come to us for help?" John asked, looking slightly upset that I didn't turn to them for help when I needed it the most. A pain went through my heart at this, as the memory of it all played through my mind.

"Do I even need to answer that one?" I asked, giving then an 'Are-you-serious' look, trying to mask my sadness, which they only met with their own demanding 'Yes' look. I caved, and put my hands up in surrender to them, knowing that it would probably be best to explain it so that there would be no misunderstandings between us at all. "Okay, okay. I hate being trouble and hate looking and being weak. I figured that you would find me eventually, and by then I would have pieced myself together enough to be okay and vent about it then." I looked down shamefully at how immature I was about everything. It was then that I realized that this was also my fault as well for not trying to reach out. I had no right to blame everything on them when it was also my fault for not trying in fear of looking weak.

"Mai, it's okay to be weak. You can't be strong all of the time. If you need to talk, then talk to us." Gene said, squeezing me to him as he tried to help with the situation that he technically wasn't in yet was because of me and his brother.

"Yes, we won't see you any differently." John agreed, taking my hands and holding them within his own will looking at me with that sweet smile of his, making me smile back at him. 'I mean, come on! Have you ever seen that smile and not been able to smile back?!' I reasoned, starting to feel better now that I was being consoled by the guys that I felt we like my brothers.

"Yeah, you'll always be SPR's little spit fire." Yasu added, softly punching my shoulder in an attempt to lighten the mood of the situation. I smiled in response to him and pushed him back, adding to the playful aura that we now had.

"Thanks guys. It means a lot." I said, meaning it from the bottom of my heart.

"I'm glad, although, I wonder why Masako would tell us to stay away from you." John said, bringing up a very good point which turned the once calm and happy atmosphere back to a serious one, minus the tears and sorrow that is.

"Yeah, that's a really good question." Gene agreed, getting into a thinking position just like his brother usually does when he's attempting to figure out a key part in the case.

"True, the only thing I ever told her was that during the week Naru was leaving I told her I hate to look weak in front of others but I don't get how-" I started, but then stopping finally getting exactly what she had done. My aura turned immensely dark as all my wrath started to pour out of me as I finally connected the dots to the puzzle that was eluding me for so long.

"Mai?" John asked, backing away from me slightly as my aura began to overtake the small area that we were in. You could practically taste the dark and evil intent inside of it.

"Oh that damned, fucking, Bitch is going DOWN!" I exclaimed, jumping off of the hammock in my pure anger. 'How dare she do such a thing? It's one thing to talk down your rival to the one you love, but to try and completely destroy them like she did me is a whole other story all together.' I thought, sitting back down as I started to try and develop a game plan to get back at the bitch that ruined my life at SPR.

"Mai, what is it?" Yasu asked, being the only one who wasn't effected by the negative energy in the area per usual. I looked up at him, and saw all the color drain from his face as he looked into my eyes. Everyone else cringed and had a similar reaction, but the fact that they didn't run meant more to me than they would ever know. Especially now that I knew what had happened and had the proof to back it up.

"It's Masako. She and I were always rivals trying to get Naru's attention from the first day we met. She always believed that Naru gave me special treatment since he always calls me my first name. She knew just how much the whole Naru leaving for England broke me, hence why she asked why I looked so strong. She then knew that I wouldn't reach out to SPR since I hate to be seen as weak." I explained, telling the story in which would hopefully make it so that the others could figure out the rest of the story without me having to say it, which would be a very good thing, because I doubt that I would be able to without chasing down that skank and adding her to the death count within that horror dog house.

"I get it now. So then with this knowledge she made a plan knowing that you would stay away from SPR and all she needed to do was just keep SPR from getting to you. Thus she created the lie of how you greave better when you're alone." Gene said, putting all of the pieces that I had placed on the table together to make the puzzle that we had once though impossible to solve visible, as well as the true culprit to what had happened.

"Then with me out of the picture she would have Naru all to herself if he ever came back to Japan." I finished, knowing that, that is exactly what her plan was as my instinct agreed with me completely. Around me, I saw that everyone else had the exact same look of realization that I did. Well, everyone except for John that is. He just had a doubtful expression as he tried to put it together, however, knowing him; he will give her the benefit of the doubt and have it so that we have to prove it to him.

"Come now, do you think that she could do all of that?" John asked, making all of us look at him as if he were crazy. That or if he was just having a stupid moment.

"She once told me that there was a guy stalking her and I attacked him to keep her safe. It turned out to be her manager and I spent a night in fricken jail." Yasu depanned, reminding me of that time when she had lost to him in a card game and had told him she'd get him back. I also remember being the one that bailed him out and picked him up the next day. He never old me the reason for it, so I never asked, but I guess that's another mystery solved.

"Well she could have pointed out the wrong man." John said, trying to be hopeful, but you could see that his resolve was fading fast and he was holding onto her being innocent with his own shear will.

"She also once put in a gum wrapper in a bucket for donations to homeless children." Gene stated, catching me completely off guard, but then again, it did make sense since he was a spirit and could follow us around while not being detected by any of us, not even that two faced bitch Masako, which allowed him to spy on us anytime he wanted.

"WHAT?!" He exclaimed, his resistance crumbling as the reality of who Masako was hit him square in the face. You really couldn't blame the dude, I in all honesty was shocked at how low she went, and it wasn't even against anyone she had a grudge on. It was a group of kids that didn't even have a place called home. 'How heartless could one woman be?' I asked, not getting why she could and would stoop to such a low level.

"Are you serious?" I asked, still not quite believing it. 'Hey, I may be mad at her, but I gotta believe that there's some good in her that she wouldn't do something like this!'

"Is the north star only seen at night?" He questioned, answering mine effortlessly and efficiently. Immediately my thoughts of her lessoned, and she was placed with the sum of the earth.

"So Masako really did plan all of this." John voiced, sounding like he was trying to convince himself more than us about the whole ordeal.

"Looks like it." Yasu said, shrugging as if he expected something like this to happen one day and that it was part of the norm. I was slightly taken aback by his attitude, but then again, considering how Masako had treated everyone, I can understand why it was he stayed so calm throughout the entire thing with Masako being the cause of all this and how easy he was to convince him of it.

"I just can't believe that she is capable of such a thing." He said, shaking his head at the whole thing. As they talked about it all, my mind couldn't take anymore and I decided that it would be best if I just leave the place and go take care of this like the independent woman I was without anyone else's help. Making up my mind, I got up from the hammock and started to make my way to the house to find that bitch, only to have my hand caught by someone. I turned to see who it was, and wasn't at all surprised to see that it was the blue-grey eyes of Gene that I saw looking seriously back at me.

"Mai, where are you going?" he asked, making a clear point of not letting go unless he liked the answer and was sure that I was telling the truth. Not being one to beat around the bush, I met his gaze head on like I always did with his brother, and made sure to keep my resolve simple and straight to the point.

"To go give that two faced bitch what she deserves!" I declared, not wanting to run away from her and her strategic plans to destroy me, and instead ready to fight and stand my ground like I should have done from the very beginning when she first came here and insulted me.

"Hang on, we'll go with ya." Yasu said, jumping up from the hammock and getting nods from the rest of the gang in agreement. However, despite me being very happy about them wanting to be there for me and stand up with me, this was something I needed to do by myself and that was exactly what I was going to do.

"Thanks, but I'm gonna do this one on my own." I stated, making sure to let them know with just my tone that I would not be swayed from my decision and asked that they respect that. They seemed slightly surprised by this, because knowing Masako, she was going to use whatever and whoever she could to bring me down and that I would be at a disadvantage if I didn't have them back me u, but that would just show the gap in maturity, strength, and independence between us.

"One on one?" Gene questioned, getting it right off the bat and making me smile at how well he got me even though he technically knew me the least amount of time than the others did. 'He really is like an older brother to me.' I realized, extremely happy that I had these people on my side despite all the ups and downs that we encountered during our time together.

"One on one."

"Good luck." They cheered, supporting me with their thoughts and smiles as they hoped for the best. I smiled at them and then left in search of Masako.

"Thanks, I'm gonna need it." I murmured to myself as I headed off to what would be the largest argument, and hopefully the last argument I will ever have with Masako Hara.

**Gene: I knew I hated Masako.**

**Goldy: Who doesn't?**

**Me: I don't know, and personally I don't want to find out.**

**Mai: Hi Silver, sorry I'm late and… who is that girl who looks just like you.**

**Me: See-**

**Goldy: -We do look alike.**

**Naru: Whatever. *Go sulks in corner* **

**Gene: Poor Noll.**

**Goldy: Eh, let him sulk in the corner.**

**Me: I'm getting tea, anyone want some?**

**Everyone minus Naru: Yes Please!**

**Mai: What's wrong Naru don't you want tea.**

**Naru: You're right, Silver, tea.**

**Goldy: No one says that to my Twin! *Pulls out dagger* Start running you white ass! You got 5 seconds before I skin your sorry ass.**

**Naru: SHIT! O.o *Runs and hides***

**Goldy: 1… 5! You can't hide from me you bastard! *Runs off to find Noll***

**Gene: O.o … Again, poor Noll.**

**Me: Yeah, but meh, what do you expect from my sis? Mess with me and you get an angry Goldy.**

**Gene: I guess you're right. Can I have a sis like that?**

**Mai: Please Review! XD it might get Goldy to stop chasing Noll.**

**Goldy: I DOUBT IT! THAT BASTARD IS DEAD!**


End file.
